Empty Mirrors
by Biscuit15
Summary: When Bel is hit by the malfunctioning Ten-Year Bazooka, he is replaced instead by his sixteen-year-old self. Who's the (un)lucky one put in charge of looking after him? Gokudera, of course. Yaoi, TYL!59B, TYL!Gokudera x Bel.
1. Chapter 1

Missions with the Varia were what Gokudera hated, and missions where he had to fly back to Italy in order to group with them were what he resented – and when he was paired specifically with his Varia counterpart and expected to get along with the smug bastard instead of killing him…

Well, Gokudera wasn't sure anything could top that on his list of things he loathed.

"Oi, knife bastard." Gokudera scowled as his unwanted companion shot him an innocent look that just didn't fit with the picture; how could_ anyone _be innocent whilst standing over a dead body they had just been prodding with a knife? "That's the last of them. Let's go."

"Shishi~" Standing up, the blond slid his knife back into his pocket before cocking his head to the side. "Hayato-kun is forgetting that we're meant to be meeting up with the others before we leave~"

"Tch…" Gokudera hated how Belphegor was always on the ball, nothing escaping his genius mind, no matter how often he pretended to forget things in order to laze about in his room for a while longer. "Whatever…"

Falling into stride with his official arch nemesis, Gokudera grudgingly allowed the other to lead; as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure where the last two members of their small team had agreed to meet upon finishing their duties, and there was _no way _he was giving Bel the satisfaction of hearing this out loud; giving in like this was enough of a blow to his pride.

Feeling his face pale when Bel raised a bloodstained hand to his lips to lick at the sticky red fluid, Gokudera was sure he was about to throw up. "You're a real creep, you know that?"

Bel hummed in response, his smile stretching to a size that emphasised his clear instability. "I am a prince; not a creep."

"Same thing…" Gokudera crossed his arms against his chest in a stubborn manner, a grumpy aura about him; he would certainly be glad to get back to Japan and report to Tsuna, wanting to leave Italy and everyone in it behind. "Where are they, anyway?"

"The Lightning pervert said to meet by the staircase." Looking up at his silver-haired companion, Bel cocked his head to the side. "Your Lightning Guardian is rather annoying, more so than my froggy. I want to kill him but Xanxus said no."

"Lay a finger on the cow and you'll fucking regret it, bastard," Gokudera hissed, descending the staircase he assumed was their meeting spot; it had been the only one they had climbed in order to clear out the top of the building, so he must be right.

A knowing smirk crossed the blond's face at these words, licking at his lips. "Speaking of peasants, he's still quite the cry-baby, isn't he?"

"What do you – shit." Gokudera glanced down across the railing as the unmistakable cries of the Vongola Lightning filled the air. He briefly cursed the blond and his superior hearing when the Bovino came running towards them in a hasty manner, most likely uninjured and simply being his cowardly self. "Oi! You stupid cow!"

Lambo changed course as he noticed the older two, but before he could approach them, he tripped on the bottom of the staircase and hit his face on the rails. In his distress, he got back to his feet, pulling his Ten Year Bazooka out from wherever he had hidden it. He swung it around, hitting it against the small confines of the area, and it was quick to leave his hands as he tripped once again on the staircase.

Gokudera watched as the Bazooka headed straight towards his blond companion, the other's usual smile replaced instead by an unreadable expression as Bel continued to stand there with his hands in his pocket, making no attempt at moving out of the way – but then again, the silver-haired male reminded himself, it would have been pointless to move as the Bazooka had been upgraded a few years ago with tracking capabilities, locking on to the closest source of body heat; Bel probably wouldn't have had a chance anyway.

In a puff of smoke, Gokudera couldn't help but admit he was a tad curious as to what the Belphegor of the future would be like, but when a much smaller form became clear through the haze, he couldn't help but frown; was that stupid Bazooka malfunctioning once again?

"Shishi~ Are you the Vongola's bomb brat? You look a lot older."

When sixteen-year-old Belphegor stood in front of Gokudera with that same shit-eating grin that the blond was rarely seen without, the Vongola Guardian found himself wishing he could throw a handful of bombs at Lambo for what he had caused; as irritating, egotistical, spoilt and violent as Belphegor was, his adult self was somewhat tolerable compared to his volatile, seemingly-bi-polar, bratty teenage self.

"Hey, bomb brat?" Bel stepped closer, cocking his head to the side as the cogs in his head turned within seconds of this new development. "Where am I? The Bovino Bazooka hit me, right? But I've never seen this place before. This isn't Italy, is it?"

"No." Gokudera couldn't help but snarl at the now-younger male, his temper breaking already as memories of his teenage years with the blond resurfaced, making him hate the other more than ever; he had thought he was finally free of the insufferable male and his self-entitled attitude, but now he was stuck with the person he loathed the most, at the same age his resentment was strongest.

Life really fucking hated him, didn't it?

"Then where are we?" Sneering down at the Bovino still sniffling away, Bel stepped past Lambo in order to approach the closest window.

"Sweden." Gokudera moved to follow the teenager, putting his hand on the younger's shoulder in order to spin him around and face him. "Listen, you little – what the fuck?!"

The silver-haired man yelped as he pulled his hand back to his own person, his green eyes wide as they took in the sight of blood dribbling down his flesh from the set of teeth marks that had just been left in his skin.

"Did you just _bite _me?!" Gokudera was ready to snap that scrawny little neck, but the set of knives that were being held out in a threatening manner deterred him; he knew his Varia counterpart would find sheer joy in using them on him.

"Peasants shouldn't touch royalty." A firm frown was on Bel's face now, agitation wafting from him. He growled when Gokudera reached out to him again with the intention of hitting him, dropping his knives as he lunged forward and buried his teeth into the calloused flesh once more.

Yup. It was official. If Gokudera had to deal with this brat of a teenager again, life _definitely _fucking_ despised_ him.


	2. Chapter 2

"When are you coming to take him back?" Gokudera sounded calm as he spoke to the Varia's Sun over the phone, but on the inside, he felt like committing first degree murder that _wasn't _endorsed by his boss' hesitant orders.

Lussuria laughed on the other end of the line before saying, "Oh, dear, you've misunderstood me; we aren't coming to get him; _you _can keep him until he's back to normal. We don't want him."

"What?" Gokudera shot a scathing look over at the blond who had followed him into his hotel room without invitation and was now rummaging through his belongings. "I don't want him, either! He's _yours!_"

"Yes, but we already dealt with him once when he was sixteen; we aren't subjecting ourselves to that again, hon. Have fun~"

Gokudera cursed as the call was ended, wishing with all his being he could just throw a stick of dynamite at the nuisance and be done with it all. As if reading his thoughts, Bel turned around, a pair of the silver-haired man's boxers in hand.

"Hey, Hayato-kun, do you think these would fit me?" Stretching the elastic in a manner that Gokudera perceived as taunting, Bel's smile widened. "Maybe not; I don't think there will be enough room for my dick to breathe."

"What the – what's _that _supposed to mean?!"

"That I'm bigger than you." Throwing the boxes aside onto the pile he had made, Bel continued on with his task of seeing what Gokudera owned.

"Oi, you little shit!" Having long-since matured, the Vongola Storm was no longer one who would reach for his weapons every time he lost his cool; he instead stood up, moving over to the younger in order to tower over him. "You wanna get blown that badly?"

Gokudera's breathing hitched as he realised what he had said, knowing how easily his words could be misconstrued – and when it came to Bel, there was _nothing_ the blond couldn't twist back in a sexual manner.

However, as if he were oblivious to the unintentional innuendo, Bel just continued pulling things out of the suitcase, humming as he scanned the items into his mind and stored them there for later consideration.

"Hey!" Gokudera reached out, snatching the bottle of lube from the boy's hand that had just been picked up. "Stay out of my shit!"

The older male had truly expected for the taunting, the endless barrage of sexual comments he _knew _the blond wouldn't hold back on, but to his shock, they never came; Bel just looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging, almost as if he hadn't even made the connection as to what lube could be used for. "Do you use that with your dynamite or something, bomb brat?"

While it was true Bel had a genuine curiosity about how his Vongola counterpart's bombs worked, there was no _way _that would be what the blond's ten-years later self would ask; there would be teasing, comments about Gokudera being unable to get laid – anything but _that_. "…"

"Well?" Turning to look back at the older male, Bel cocked his head to the side. "Why do you look so embarrassed?"

Shaking his head, Gokudera snapped himself out of his thoughts. "Why would _you _care what I use it for?"

"It was a question; you're obviously using it for something else if you're getting so defensive over me asking about it. What _are _you using it for, then?"

"None of your fucking business! Hey, do you mind? I have to use that, you know?!" Gokudera growled as the boy ran his thumb against the tip of his toothbrush. "Who knows what you've been doing since you last washed your hands?"

"I am a prince; I wash my hands every time before I eat or have used the toilet, and especially when I have touched something questionable. I take care of my hygiene, but do _you,_ Hayato-kun?"

"How do I know you weren't jerking yourself off minutes before the Bazooka hit you?"

"Huh?" Blinking beneath long bangs, Bel cocked his head to the side. There was no deception, no hidden motive for doing so that Gokudera could sense; just simply a boy who didn't quite understand what he had been accused of.

"Are you stupid or something?" Gokudera stepped forward again, nudging the younger with his boot. "You know what I'm talking about; don't play dumb."

"I really am not sure as to what you're referring to." No trickery was picked up in the other's mannerisms, instead simple, plain confusion; Bel really _didn't _get it, did he? "I've never heard that terminology anywhere."

"What the fuck?" Gokudera shook his head. "Look at who you live with; there's no way you _haven't _heard it before."

Standing up in order to stretch, Bel made his way over to the single bed in the room. He dropped himself down on it and curled up into a ball, lifting his head to look at Gokudera. "Yeah, but I stay in my room all the time. I only come out to play with Mammon's puffy cheeks and to eat; I don't really talk to the others."

"Can you get off my bed?" Gokudera scowled down at the boy, his fingers twitching as he held back the impulse to push the young prince off the mattress just to see how he reacted. "In fact, get out of my room; you have your own further down the hall. Go bother your perverted Lightning Guardian or something."

"No, I don't want to." Bel pouted childishly, dragging his knees to his chest as he made himself more comfortable. "This is my room, now. I expect the peasant to bring my belongings in to me and relocate elsewhere."

"Oi, this is _my _room!"

"Nu-uh; I claimed it, so it's mine now. I am a prince; I can do whatever I want."

"Jeez, no wonder the Varia dumped you on me and don't want you back." Gokudera rolled his eyes, his irritation growing further. "But, hey; I don't want you, either; I want to abandon you somewhere just to get you out of my hair."

Bel shrugged, his smile never faltering. "I am used to no one wanting me, so I made sure to never _need _anyone to want me. I can survive on my own quite easily; I don't _want _to be wanted. And as for abandonment, I experienced that very early on; it does not hurt me anymore. Wasn't it the same for you, bomb brat?"

"I…" Gokudera took a moment to collect himself, understanding exactly what it was like to belong nowhere, to have to fight for survival and not understand what it was like to be wanted by someone. But how could Bel even _consider _putting them on the same level? The blond was an unstable, violent little shit who murdered for fun – everything Gokudera was _not. _Feeling his irritation build up, he spat out, "I don't _care_ what you think, you little shit; don't act like you know me because I am _far _from being like you. Get out of my room, knife bastard."

Bel shrugged again, making no attempt at moving off the bed. "You're more like me than you care to realise, Hayato-kun. Anyway, I'm going to sleep. My things had better be here by the time I wake up, peasant."

If this were ten years ago, Gokudera would have thrown a fit over the blond taking his room like this, but instead he simply sighed and moved to sit on the couch, knowing that Bel wasn't going to budge any time soon.

Turning the TV on, Gokudera allowed his thoughts to run rampart, trying to ignore the soft snores that soon came from behind him.

At least Bel wasn't _too _annoying when he was sleeping; hopefully he would spend most of his time that way.

_**~~XX~~**_

When dinner rolled around and Bel still hadn't woken, Gokudera could admit he was the tiniest fraction concerned; it had been close to nine hours since he had 'claimed' his Vongola counterpart's room for himself and gone to sleep, and the blond hadn't woken in the slightest since then; was this normal behaviour for the younger? Gokudera knew that Bel was lazy and slept a lot, but _this _amount of sleep…? If this were the usual for him, it was no wonder the Varia Storm was grouchy a lot of the time.

Getting up from his couch, Gokudera moved to the boy's side. He looked down at the sleeping form, surprised to see that the devious smile Bel tended to don was absent tonight, replaced instead by a firm frown. Thin fingers gripped tight the bed sheets beneath the younger, an aura of distress wafting from Bel.

"Oi, knife bastard." Gokudera knew better than to touch the other; even as an adult, Bel hadn't liked touch, and the lifestyle he lived ensured that if someone were to touch him in his sleep or otherwise allow him to feel threatened, he would wake with nothing but killing on his mind. "Get up."

When the smaller male didn't even stir, Gokudera sighed; he was going to have to take drastic measures, because there was no _way _he was letting the volatile boy become sleepless tonight; that would only result in _him _losing sleep by having to deal with the younger.

Moving away from the bed, Gokudera searched the hotel room for the most harmless object he could find. After deciding that the room wouldn't readily supply him with something that didn't automatically look threatening to someone just waking up, he went to his own suitcase and sifted through things.

Grabbing the bottle of lube Bel had been playing with earlier, Gokudera stood up and carried it over to the far side of the room, knowing that if any knives were to come flying at him, he could quickly slip inside the bathroom and lock the door until Bel calmed down.

"Get up, freak." Throwing the bottle as hard as he could, Gokudera couldn't help but feel a little satisfied at the loud thump that sounded when it landed hard on the blond's head. He was alert as the boy immediately sat up, a handful of knives in his hands as he looked around for any immediate threat. To the silver-haired male's relief, Bel disregarded him as a danger and instead turned his attention to see what had hit him.

"Hayato-kun…" Bel sighed as he picked up the bottle of lube, tossing it onto the ground in an annoyed manner. "Hayato-kun, why would you do that?"

"Because you wouldn't wake up when I told you to." Shrugging, the Italian-Japanese male slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat as he closed the distance between them. "Do you always sleep for so long?"

Stifling a yawn, Bel then asked, "What time is it?"

"Eight. I figured I should get you up for dinner so you wouldn't wake up some time through the night and wake _me _up to bitch that you're hungry."

Ignoring this accusation, Bel cocked his head to the side. Chewing at his lips, he then said in a slow, soft voice that Gokudera read as one of uncertainty, "…No… I don't usually sleep that long…"

"So why did you?"

Shrugging, Bel turned away. "I don't need to talk about my problems to _you _of all people, Hayato-kun."

Gokudera wasn't stupid; he knew what it was like to be unexpectedly stuck in a timeline that wasn't his; when he and his friends had had the fight with Byakuran, he hadn't been the only one scared and confused by everything, feeling trapped with no way out; surely Bel could be feeling just as disconcerted as they had back then, if not more so.

Despite having worked on and off with the Varia for ten years, none of the Vongola really knew all that much about the other members; they were distant, closed off, and didn't seem to want the slightest thing to be known about them. Maybe they were all a paranoid bunch, but Gokudera had worked with Bel enough to work out that the blond was probably the most paranoid of them all, and in _this _situation, all he had was his princely pride to get him through.

"You're confronted by this timeline you really have no knowledge of, aren't you?" Gokudera didn't miss the way Bel's lips twitched, his fingers curling instinctively around air as if to grasp the handles of his knives. "It's really in your face, right? I guess even a genius such as yourself has to be a little apprehensive; I often hear that it's the people who think they have everything down pat that are frightened the most when faced with the unexpected."

Bel growled, hating that Gokudera had been sincere at the start, but then had taunted him; yes, he was feeling a little anxious about this new development, everything he knew about the world perhaps irrelevant right now – but he wasn't going to let _anyone _know that even _he _could be a little nervous of things at times. "Shut up, peasant. Forget this petty conversation; I want food."

Gokudera sneered, reaching out to pinch pale cheeks. In a tone thick with sarcasm, he said, "You think you're so _precious, _but you really have no choice but to rely on me in this situation. You should rethink being your usual bratty, spoilt self, because I could always leave you alone in this unfamiliar world and see if you can make it on your own."

"Of course I can!" Bel swiped a knife at the other, agitated further by such an arrogant touch. "I don't _need _you!"

"Oh, trust me; you will. You have no idea how to fight in this timeline; you'll get stomped."

"I'm a _prince_!" Bel waved his arms in the air, his frustration obvious. "And I'm a Varia member! I won't lose to _anybody_!"

Gokudera chuckled. "Actually, I remember you losing a couple of times. You shouldn't be such a snobby, arrogant brat, because if it weren't for the Tenth wanting me to keep you alive, I would be only too happy to let you go out and get your head torn off your neck."

"That won't happen!"

"We'll see." A knowing smirk crossed Gokudera's face, reaching out to pat a blond head in mock soothing. "We'll see, _Bel-chan _– oi, stop fucking biting me, you little shit!"

Bel just sunk his teeth in harder before finally letting go and making his way towards the door. If Gokudera was only going to sit here and taunt him instead of taking him to food, he would just have to find it himself.

Wait until Gokudera sees just how well he can handle himself, even in an unfamiliar timeline. He'd soon learn to trust in his abilities, Bel would make sure of that.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time the four Mafioso arrived back in Japan to report to Tsuna, Bel was more agitated than usual; apparently he didn't do well with jetlag. Both Leviathan and Lambo had been only too happy to have a separate Vongola limo drive them back to headquarters, leaving Bel and Gokudera to share one together; they didn't want to be the ones dealing with the blond, already willing to murder him in his sleep; he took _a lot _of effort to deal with, and not a single one of them wanted to exert said energy.

As expected, Gokudera was ready to kill the other in the slowest, most painful method he could think of, the boy's lack of regard towards others' personal space more apparent than usual; the blond seemed to think that his older companion was nothing more than a pillow, continuously trying to lay against the Vongola Storm or across his lap, and whenever the man protested and shoved him away, he received a sharp jab to his ribs with the tip of the Varia Guardian's knife.

And now, finally, after arriving at the Vongola mansion, Gokudera was only too happy to dive out of the car and leave Bel curled up on the seat, glad to get away from the younger.

Entering the Vongola mansion, the silver-haired male found Ryohei and Yamamoto standing by the staircase, talking amongst themselves. They fell silent at their companion's approach, two sets of hardened eyes staring at him questioningly.

"What?" Reaching into his pocket, the Storm Guardian pulled a packet of cigarettes from his jacket. "Don't give me that look."

"We heard from Tsuna who heard from Lussuria that Belphegor got hit by the bazooka, and that he'd be staying with us until it wears off." Looking all around Gokudera in search of the Varia member, Yamamoto frowned. "Where is he?"

"In the car or some shit; I don't know." Shaking off the accusing looks the taller two were giving him, Gokudera narrowed his eyes. "I can't fucking stand him and he's done nothing but piss me off! Why can't the fucking Varia come back for him or something?"

"He's just a kid, and he doesn't know how to fight here." Shaking his head, Yamamoto sighed. "You should be looking after him to make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"The little shit can look after himself; he can get hurt for all I fuckin' care..."

While Ryohei left the conversation, angered by the younger's attitude yet not wanting to start more conflict, Yamamoto continued trying; he wasn't going to stand by and let Gokudera hurt someone like this. "He likes you most out of us; he won't listen to any other Vongola."

"And he doesn't even listen to me as it is! I hate the little shit; every time I look at him, I want to strangle him! Just send him back to Italy!"

"If you want to get rid of me that badly, you could have just said."

Turning around at the unexpected voice, the Rain and Storm guardians both frowned at the sight of Bel standing by them, his bag in hand as he donned a stoic expression.

"I already know neither of you like me; I wouldn't have cared if you said it to my face. What I_ do_ care about is being talked about behind my back. I'll go back to Italy myself; I don't need to associate with your kind."

"Bel..." While Yamamoto genuinely felt bad for the boy, Gokudera simply sneered and walked away.

Calling over his shoulder, the Vongola Storm casually said, "Try and be gone by tonight so I don't have to look at you during dinner."

Bel's expression remained emotionless at these words, but he didn't reply to them; he simply carried his bag up the stairs, intending on finding a room for him to take shelter in while he figured out what to do.

It was clear that here was the same as everywhere else; no matter where he went, he wasn't wanted by anyone.

_**~~XX~~ **_

Lifting his head from the pillow an uncertain amount of time later, Bel found the Vongola Decimo stepping into his room.

"Yamamoto told me you overheard him and Gokudera-kun talking." The brunet was soft, his eyes full of concern. "I've already spoken to Gokudera-kun about his behaviour. Please don't go back to Italy; you're welcome here, even if Gokudera-kun says otherwise."

Shrugging, Bel said, "I'll leave; I don't want to be here anyway; I want to play with Mammon's puffy cheeks again."

Tsuna wasn't stupid; he knew what the blond meant: Bel was lonely without Mammon, probably the reason he was acting out.

"Levi's the only one in Italy at the moment anyway; he went back a few hours ago, and everyone else is busy."

Bel didn't reply back to this; he simply started picking at his jacket, annoyed already with this conversation.

"Bel?"

"You've got five seconds to get out of my room before I turn you into a cactus." Reaching into his pocket, the boy's hand resurfaced with a handful of knives. "I don't care that the boss and his bitch will yell at me; get out."

Tsuna hesitated, but he did as told; he knew that Bel would do as he had threatened. "..."

Watching as the Vongola Decimo left the room, Bel dropped his knives to the bed; he was agitated, but he wasn't entirely sure of why; was it because that, even though he knew Gokudera had never liked him, it actually _hurt _to hear his Vongola counterpart talking about him like that? Part of Bel had _liked _the silver-haired male, kind of like how he liked Mammon, but different in a way even he as a genius couldn't quite work out; he had never felt like that towards anyone but Squalo before, and even then, it hadn't lasted very long; those feelings had disappeared after a couple of months, unlike with Gokudera, which had begun shortly after their fight and were still present.

Rolling onto his back, Bel looked up at the roof, wishing Mammon were there with him so that he could hug her close and fall into a peaceful sleep; the Mist Arcobaleno was truly the one and only friend he had _ever _had.

But… Sometimes the blond couldn't help but lay awake at night and wonder… What would it be like to have Gokudera as a friend, too…?

Somehow, Bel didn't think he would ever find out.

_**~~XX~~**_

It hadn't taken very long for Bel to find a clear path out of the Vongola mansion, noticing that with all the guardians gathered together in the one room downstairs, there was really no one else there to stop him from sneaking out; having checked for flights back to Italy, he was dismayed to find that there would be no more leaving for a few days at the very least, leaving him to feel trapped in that unfamiliar room.

Boredom picking away at his mind already, Bel knew he needed to get out and find something to entertain him lest he go crazier than he already was; he hated having nothing to do, finding that if he were left to nothing but his thoughts, he slowly drowned himself in feelings that did nothing but unhinge him further.

Even Bel knew that thinking was bad for him.

Opening the front door to the mansion, the boy snuck outside, eventually escaping through the front gate after having stolen a card from downstairs to open them. Now that he was out in the open, the first thing for him to do was find his way into town, and hope to stem the monotony with a few slow murders.

However, what he failed to notice in his greatly agitated state was that he wasn't alone; he was, in fact, outnumbered.

_**~~XX~~**_

As the Vongola Decimo's right-hand man, Gokudera took Guardian meetings very seriously; he always sat at attention, ready to shut anyone up who made a fuss, and was willing to personally handle anything his boss couldn't do.

Sitting by Tsuna's side, Gokudera hung on to every word the brunet spoke, especially when the topic turned into one of warning, Tsuna having become aware of suspicious activity around the mansion.

"I've had Ryohei looking into it, and I don't believe there's a huge cause for alarm just yet, but I would like for everyone to remain vigilant; we don't know what they're after, or how many of them there are."

Before anyone could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and one of the staff entered, a look of uncertainty on her face. "I am very sorry to interrupt, but your guest has left the gates open at his departure."

Tsuna's eyes widened with deep concern, instantly assuming the worst; if Bel had wandered off, and someone was still hanging around…

Bel was in serious danger, and he wouldn't stand a chance in this timeline.

"Everyone go out and look for Belphegor!" Getting to his feet, Tsuna couldn't help but bark his order; the last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to the Varia Guardian. "Find him immediately! He might be hurt already!"

Gokudera could see how stressed Tsuna was about this, and for no reason other than that he didn't want to disappoint the brunet, he said, "I'll search the surrounding properties, Tenth."

_**~~XX~~**_

As expected, Gokudera was quick to find the younger Storm Guardian; way out in dense forest, the silver-haired man was led towards the other's location by pained screams, laughter, and the unmistakable sound of torture. Running as fast as he could, the Vongola Guardian activated his Storm Buckle, Uri leaping up onto his shoulder with a hiss.

Finally, making his way close enough to overhear what was being said, Gokudera started to creep along; he couldn't make his presence known just yet; he had to find out what was going on first.

"It would be only too easy for us to kill you here and now, you little brat."

Gokudera couldn't help but grow angry at this threat, knowing already that whoever had taken Bel was trying to get information out of him. He didn't care that someone was hurting the younger Guardian; all that mattered was that his family's privacy was at stake; if Bel slipped up…

"Tell us right now; what do you know of the Vongola and its allied forces?"

"…Fuck off…" Gokudera had never heard Bel sound so weak before; what were they doing to him? "Not… telling you shit…"

Gokudera flinched as the boy's scream filled the air next, hatred bubbling inside of him as whoever had hold of Bel spoke again; he couldn't forgive _anyone _who sought to harm the Tenth Generation boss.

"Unless you want to lose the other one, too, I suggest you speak up, boy."

Gokudera couldn't stand hearing this anymore, knowing he had to stop this now before Bel _did _speak; sending Uri on ahead, he prepared himself before stepping into the clearing, finally able to see the two men who were holding Bel down on the ground, blood all over him. These two men didn't look like anything special – in fact, they probably _weren't _special as Gokudera's sudden appearance was enough to make them look as if they had seen a ghost.

But if this was the case, how had they managed to get Bel in this state…? Different timelines or not, Bel was still a Varia Officer, an unstoppable force like the storm he symbolised; so how…?

Glaring angrily at the boy's attackers, he grabbed a stick of dynamite, ready to kill them here and now; if it were a fight they were after, they had gotten one.

"You two are the ones I suggest speak up; what are you doing with that brat?" Feeling Uri jump back onto his shoulder, Gokudera wasn't in the mood for bullshit; he wanted to get this over and done with and return to the mansion. "You want information on Vongola? You're not going to get it."

One of the two men standing over Bel sneered. Leaning down, he pulled said boy into his arms, using him as a human shield – a cowardly act, one telling Gokudera that these men truly stood no chance against him. "You wouldn't attack your comrade, would you? Tell us what we want to know, or I'll slit his throat."

Gokudera couldn't help but laugh, his own sneer crossing his face. "You really think I'd ever consider _him _my comrade? No; if it weren't for my boss giving me orders to bring him back, I wouldn't have even bothered coming out here looking for him. Your mistake is thinking I won't throw dynamite with him in front of you." With that said, the Storm Guardian was quick to toss his weapon, waiting for the familiar explosion before he moved forward to tower over the men he had knocked to the ground.

"I'll _never _consider him as a comrade, but my boss does." Leaning down, Gokudera snatched Bel into his arms, well aware that the dynamite had injured him, too. Sliding another stick of dynamite out of its sheathe, he flicked it into the air, saying, "If only for my boss, I'll be taking him back with me. Sayonara."

Throwing Bel over his shoulder, Gokudera heard the other groan in pain, felt the smaller body thrash a little before it fell limp, not another sound escaping the boy's lips. Gokudera was certain the younger had passed out, and he liked it that way; he didn't want to listen to the other's whining on the way back, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

"Gokudera-kun."

Turning around to face his boss, Gokudera put the plate of dango he had pulled from the fridge back onto the shelf. "Yes, Tenth?"

"Yamamoto and I have gotten Belphegor into the infirmary and settled him in." Tsuna brushed his fingers through his brown locks, a sigh escaping his lips. "He's been badly injured; I suspect he was caught off-guard by something. It looks like he was shot at first; through the knee, so he probably couldn't run."

"Tenth, you _know _I really don't care about…" Sighing at the look of disapproval on the Vongola Tenth's face, the silver-haired man bowed in submission. "Apologies, Tenth…"

"He's still awake, but he's fighting sleep." Putting his hand on his friend's shoulder, Tsuna offered a gentle smile. "Go sit with him for a while and make sure he's alright; he's been through a big ordeal and he likes you most."

Gokudera wanted to protest, rant about how much he despised the boy and everything to do with him, but… He was also the Vongola's Storm Guardian, the Tenth's right-hand man; he couldn't refuse such a simple order.

"…Yes, Tenth…" Grabbing the plate of dango from the fridge once more, Gokudera took it with him as he made his way to the infirmary. It wasn't a long walk, but he was truly dreading stepping into the room with his Varia counterpart inside it; he wished things would just go back to normal and Bel would fuck off back to Italy already.

Finally making it to the infirmary, Gokudera stepped inside. Looking over to the first bed on his left, he frowned as he noticed Bel lifting his head from the mattress, blood matting his locks. He could see stitches on the younger's face, a bandage wrapped around his neck, and though his body was hidden beneath the blanket, he had one arm resting on his chest, a cast on it. IVs disappeared beneath the blanket, a heart rate monitor beeping in the background.

"Hayato…kun…" Bel seemed disoriented, very unlike his usual self; had he really been hurt that badly? "Hayato…kun…"

"What do you want?" Sneering at the boy, Gokudera reluctantly took the furthest seat from the bed possible. "I'm only here because Tenth asked me to be."

Rolling onto his side, Bel hissed in pain. "…Hayato-kun… Why do you hate me…?"

"Why?" His sneer widening, the silver-haired male narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't I? You give me every fucking reason I can think of, and every time I so much as see you, you make me wish I could snap your damn neck myself."

With a sigh, Bel shrugged. Rolling onto his side, he muttered, "Whatever... I still like _you, _though."

Gokudera wasn't sure why hearing these words for himself bothered him so much; it was different hearing it from someone like Tsuna – it coming from Bel's own mouth was what made him stop and think; why would the blond even like someone like him in the first place? He thought his Varia counterpart hated him just as much; it would certainly make sense with the way they acted towards each other.

Trying not to think so much on his confusion, Gokudera instead stomped forward, grabbing golden locks and tugging the younger's head up. "What the hell are you trying to pull, you little shit? Stop fucking lying to me."

"I'm not lying." As tired, as injured as he was, Bel was sincere. Lifting his obscured eyes to stare into green ones, a stoic expression crossed his face. "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have continued to annoy you as much as I do. I don't let just anyone treat me the way _you _do, Hayato-kun; I have more respect for myself than you do."

"..." Looking to the ground, Gokudera bit his lip; why did these words agitate him? They pissed him off, but it wasn't for usual reasons; Bel wasn't annoying him like he always did; it was something inside of himself that made him want to hit the boy.

Turning around to leave the infirmary, Gokudera called over his shoulder, "You'd wanna fuckoff back to Italy when you're out of there; I don't want to see your face around here again."

"But I don't want to leave, Hayato-kun~" Gokudera wasn't sure it were possible, but it seemed as if the younger was back to his usual self already; if there was one thing he had to give the other, it was that Bel was one resilient little brat. "I want to sleep in your room with you~"

"Fuck off!" Slamming the door shut behind him, Gokudera huffed; fucking cocky little shit he was...

Heading towards the stairs, Gokudera ascended them in silent annoyance; he was going to talk to Tsuna and make sure the brunet understood something; while Bel was still here with them, he didn't want the other let _anywhere _near his room, much less even _know _what one it was.

For all Gokudera cared, Bel could go sleep in _Hibari's _room and get the shit beaten out of himself.

_**~~XX~~**_

To Gokudera's immense anger, Tsuna hadn't listened to him and instead taken the side of the blond; it was nine-thirty at night, and the silver-haired male was sitting on his bed, watching as his boss and the Rain Guardian made up a futon on the floor of his room. Grinding his teeth together, he narrowed his eyes as Yamamoto moved the boy over to the futon.

"Damn baseball freak..." Dropping himself onto his side, Gokudera pulled the blankets over him. "I bet you're the one who talked Tenth into letting the knife bastard in here..."

Yamamoto laughed cheerfully, shaking his head. "No; Tsuna was the one who agreed."

"Fucking liar." Too tired to argue, Gokudera closed his eyes. "Turn the light off on your way out."

Listening as Yamamoto and Bel talked a little more, the Vongola Storm was glad when the taller male said goodnight and left the room; now all that was left was for Bel to go to sleep as well.

"Hayato-kun?"

"For fuck's sake..." Lifting his head from the pillow, Gokudera turned around to glare at where he was sure his guest was. "_What_."

"I'm not tired." The boy huffed, rolling around in his bed. "I want to talk to you."

"Well, _I'm _tired!" the older male snapped. "Get to fucking sleep!"

"I want to annoy you."

"I want you to _sleep_!"

"It's working." Gokudera could almost _hear _the smirk crossing the boy's face. "I'm annoying you."

"...You fucker..."

"Shishishi~ Goodnight, Hayato-kun~"

"..." Lying back down on his mattress, Gokudera sighed; it was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hayato-kun?"

Looking over his shoulder at the blond boy curled up on the futon, Gokudera sighed. He gripped his pen tightly, clenching his jaw; he had to finish off these mission reports and give them to Tsuna, and he wasn't going to be able to do that at this rate; Bel couldn't seem to shut up today.

"What." Hissing the words, Gokudera's green eyes narrowed at the younger.

"The baseball brat said he would bring me more morphine, but he hasn't given it to me yet." Stretching much like a cat, Bel then curled up on his side. "Get me morphine, Hayato-kun."

"I'm not your fucking slave!" Gesturing to the plate of good beside the futon, the Vongola Storm growled. "I already fed you, haven't I?! Get the morphine yourself!"

"Hayato-kun, my leg is broken." Smiling, the boy rolled onto his back. "Be a good peasant and follow orders."

Throwing his pen at the blond, Hayato then stood up and left the room; he couldn't concentrate at all with the younger around. However, before he could get far down the hallway, Yamamoto called out to him, the taller male having come out of his own bedroom.

"Yo, Gokudera." Catching up to his friend, Yamamoto cocked his head to the side. "I had to go out and get some more morphine; we were far shorter on stock than we thought. How's Belphegor?"

"As annoying as ever. Can you overdose him and get him out of my hair?" Scratching at his face, Gokudera sighed.

Smiling, Yamamoto shook his head. "He's really not that bad, Gokudera. I like him."

Well aware of the fact that Yamamoto had often been seen hanging around comfortably with the Varia's prince, Gokudera scowled. "Traitor…"

"I like Belphegor. Once you take the time to get to know him, he's pretty laidback." Gesturing to the paper bag in his hand, Yamamoto moved closer to the bedroom door. "Can I go in and give him his medicine?"

"Whatever… I'm going out to have a smoke. Feel free to drug him to death or some shit…" Without waiting for a response, Gokudera left.

Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck as he opened the door. Looking in, he found Bel laying on the futon with one arm crossed behind his head, the other in a sling against his chest. The blond tilted his head to the side at the older male's approach, his devious smile crossing his face.

"Do you have my morphine, baseball brat?" Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Bel grinned. He was feeling a little sore, but it was nothing he couldn't handle; he just liked the highs the painkillers gave him.

Yamamoto nodded, moving so that he could kneel next to the teenager. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a few bottles and a syringe. "Our nurse prescribed a few more medications for you, too. I'll give you the morphine first."

Grabbing the syringe, Yamamoto uncapped one of the bottles before he filled the needle with the liquid inside it. When it was ready, he was gentle as he took hold of Bel's arm, sliding the sleeve upwards so that he could inject it. Bel made no sound as it pierced his skin; he simply watched with a crazed grin on his face.

"Ne, Takeshi?" Looking up into the Japanese male's face, Bel cocked his head to the side. "Why does Hayato-kun carry lube everywhere he goes? He had it in Sweden, and now it's on his bedside drawers."

Yamamoto gave a soft laugh as he shook his head, scratching his cheek in uncertainty. "You should talk to Gokudera about that, Belphegor."

"I did. I asked him what he uses it for, but he won't tell me." Reaching out to accept the pills the older male was passing him, he swallowed them all without water before he said, "He acts like there's some big secret or something behind it, but all I can think of is that he uses it with his bombs somehow."

Truly surprised that he was having this conversation with the teen, Yamamoto frowned; this was _not _the conversation he would be holding with the Belphegor of this timeline... "Well… It's kind of private, and… I really shouldn't discuss someone else's private life. You'll understand it one day, Belphegor."

Not understanding why no one was telling him something as simple as what Gokudera used lube for, Bel couldn't help but sigh; why would they want to hide it in the first place? "…"

Now that Bel had had his morphine and other medicine, Yamamoto patted a blond head before he stood up. "You should lay back down and get some rest. Dinner will be ready soon. I'll bring it up for you."

With a nod, the blond let himself fall down onto the futon. He rolled onto his side, pulling the blankets over him tightly. "Can you tell Hayato-kun I want to eat my dinner with him?"

"Sure." Smiling at the younger, Takeshi then left the room, closing the door behind him. Though he knew that Gokudera wouldn't grant their guest his wishes, he would still pass on the message anyway; maybe by some miracle, the Vongola Storm would eat with Bel.

_**~~XX~~**_

To Bel's disappointment, Gokudera had left him all alone until it was time for bed. Even then, the silver-haired male hadn't bothered to acknowledge his guest in the slightest; he had simply changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed.

While Gokudera didn't seem to have any problems falling asleep, Bel wasn't that lucky; as tired as he was, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. He wasn't overthinking, nor was he feeling particularly stressed; he just was having trouble dozing off.

Rolling over onto his side so that he could look out of the giant window, Bel sighed. He stared out into the dark skies, watching the faint outline of the trees swaying in the wind. He closed his eyes, trying once again to fall asleep.

"Ughn…"

Lifting his head to look over at Gokudera's bed, Bel frowned as he heard the other moan; was Gokudera hurt? "Hayato-kun? Are you okay?"

Gokudera didn't respond; he simply let out a groan.

Laying on the futon for a while longer, Bel hardly even realised he was becoming completely absorbed in the sounds his Vongola counterpart was making; all he knew was that, when he finally snapped out of his stupor, it was to a strange feeling in his groin he had only felt a handful of times before.

Cocking his head to the side, Bel looked down at his lap. He could feel his pants getting tighter, but he couldn't work out why; why were such every-day sounds making him feel the way a handful of things ever had before?

Trying his best to link together the times this had happened before, he found no correlation; this was nothing like the time he had seen Squalo naked just after a shower, or when he had walked into his boss' office and found Xanxus with his hand down his pants.

Was it just random, the things his body did, or was there some very, _very _faint link that even _Bel _couldn't pick out?

Pushing himself to his feet, Bel dragged his bad leg across the floor in order to leave the room. He stumbled often, and the journey was slow, but eventually he made his way to his target's office; he had to figure out what was going on with his body, and he knew that the Vongola Decimo wouldn't say no if he were to ask for help.

Not bothering to knock on the door, Bel pushed it open with no regard for the other's need for privacy. Finding the brunet seated at his desk, the boy didn't say a word until he had curled up on the couch near the fireplace, soothed by the comforting warmth of the flames.

"Why aren't you asleep, Belphegor?" Tsuna looked as tired as Bel felt, but the Vongola Decimo was pushing through stacks of paperwork. He seemed as dedicated to his position as Squalo was, the Varia Swordsman constantly swamped by mountains of paperwork that their boss was too lazy to even glance at himself. "You shouldn't be walking around on that leg with no support; you'll make it worse."

Waving a dismissive hand, Bel shook his head. "I am a prince; my leg will not worsen so easily."

"Can I help you with anything, Belphegor?" As tired as he was, Tsuna wasn't sure he was in the mood for dealing with Varia's psychotic little brat; he wasn't in the best of moods as it is, and he wasn't sure he could trust Bel to not annoy him further.

Nodding, Bel made himself more comfortable. "I have a question."

"About what?"

"My dick." Ignoring the way Tsuna's eyes widened as the brunet gasped, Bel continued on. "It's doing a weird thing again."

"…" As if finally coming to terms with what was happening, Tsuna slowly raised his hand to his mouth. "Belphegor… You're sixteen…"

"And?"

"You should already know about this. Hasn't Squalo or someone told you?"

Shaking his head, Bel shrugged his thin shoulders. "Why would they?"

"Because it's obviously something you don't know, and you need to know it." Moving to sit on the couch, Tsuna prepared himself mentally; he had never really been one to discuss such matters with others, but…

If Varia hadn't already taught the boy, then no one else would.

"How often have you felt like this?" Careful to keep distance between them, Tsuna spoke in a gentle tone.

Humming thoughtfully, Bel cocked his head to the side. "Not very often. Sometimes I wake up like it, or my pants are really sticky and wet. I asked Mammy once if that was normal, and she said yes. She wouldn't tell me anything when I asked why it happens, even when I tried to pay her."

"That happens because…" Rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, Tsuna sighed; why was this so difficult? "…Because you're a teenager, and teens have lots of hormones… When does it happen when you're awake? Has it ever happened randomly?"

"Hmm… Sort of. But without the weird feelings, like tonight."

"That's completely normal, Belphegor." Rubbing at his face, Tsuna sighed. "It means that you're sexually healthy."

"Sexually healthy?"

"Yeah, you know what sex is. …Right?" Suddenly doubting this, Tsuna could understand why the other would be so naïve; Bel lived only for pain and bloodshed, and given the group of men who had raised him, if the blond _did _know anything, the odds were that his understanding of sex was so misconstrued, it would be a similar result if he were raised on porn.

"Sort of. I've heard Lussu and Squa talk about it heaps before, but it never really interested me because when I asked, they said I wasn't allowed to use my knives or kill them until _after _I was finished. It didn't seem very enthralling if I couldn't have any blood; I figured I might as well skip sex and just go straight for the kill."

"Belphegor…"

"You're just going to dance around the subject, aren't you?"

The two occupants of the office looked over at the door as they heard Yamamoto's voice. They found the door opening just before the dark-haired man himself stepped in, an amused look on his face.

"How long have you been standing there, Yamamoto?" Unable to be mad at his Rain Guardian, Tsuna instead took on a soft tone, one that showed he wasn't mad, and that Yamamoto was more than welcome to remain here if he wished.

"I got to the door about a minute after Belphegor." Lifting a stack of paper into the air, Yamamoto cocked his head to the side. "One of my reports, Tsuna."

"Ah, thank you, Yamamoto. Just place it on my desk."

Yamamoto did as he was told, but he didn't leave after that; he instead joined the others on the couch, sitting close enough to Bel so that their arms touched. "I take it you're aroused if you're asking Tsuna about this stuff."

"…" Blinking, Bel didn't quite understand; aroused could mean a lot of things, so… "I came here because my cock is hard."

"How did that happen?" Wanting to get to the point, Yamamoto wasn't beating around the bush like his best friend did; Bel needed to know, and there was no point in hiding things or sugar coating it.

"Hayato-kun was making strange noises in his sleep, and then I started feeling weird."

Yamamoto laughed, reaching out to pat blond hair. "Do you like boys, Belphegor?"

"Eh? I like Squalo, Lussuria and Boss, and Hayato-kun. And I like Mammy, too, but she's a girl. That's everyone I like."

Yamamoto couldn't help but find the younger's innocence endearing; it was such a nice change to the vicious blond they had to be careful of. "That's nice, Belphegor. Do you feel the same way as now about any of them?"

"I used to feel like that around Squalo when I was younger. I would feel… I don't know how to explain it. It's like a different kind of contentment; it's not like the happiness I get from killing."

Yamamoto couldn't help but feel his chest warm with appreciation; so Bel had had a crush on Squalo and didn't even realise it. Did that mean the Storm Guardian also had a crush on Gokudera? It was possible, but it was too early to tell; Bel didn't seem to acknowledge sexual urges properly, so he could be feeling anything towards his Vongola counterpart.

"Are you still aroused now?" Looking down at the younger's lap to see a small hand resting on a clear bulge, Yamamoto didn't wait for an answer; he reached out, picking Bel up and carrying him over to the adjoining bathroom. "Go and take care of that and then we'll talk some more."

"Eh? Take care of it?" Looking over his shoulder at Yamamoto, Bel felt a little disconcerted; whenever he had felt like this, he always curled up in his bed and waited for it to go away, no matter how much it could ache and throb. Was there a simpler way that wouldn't take hours for it to completely disappear?

"Yes. Go sit on the toilet and masturbate. Stroke it until you orgasm." While Yamamoto didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest, Tsuna felt extremely uncomfortable; oh, why did the gods hate him right now…? "Yell out once you're done."

"Yamamoto…" Wishing he could go hide away in his room, Tsuna was horrified by the squeak in his voice; he was supposed to be stronger than this! "Can I leave this up to you…?"

With a nod, Yamamoto was as happy as ever as he sat back down on the couch. "Of course, Tsuna. I think he likes Gokudera."

"Yeah, it seems that way. I want to feel happy for him, but… Gokudera-kun's going to give him hell if he finds out…"

Yamamoto couldn't help but agree. He wished he could do something to help, but… Gokudera probably wouldn't listen to even Tsuna in this case.


	6. Chapter 6

When Bel awoke the next morning, he was curled up in his futon. He didn't remember going back to it last night, certain he had fallen asleep in Tsuna's bathroom and hadn't woken up; had one of the older two carried him back?

Sitting up, Bel rubbed his eyes before he looked around. His eyes glued to Gokudera when he found the older male standing in front of his wardrobe, changing out of his pyjamas and into his usual black suit. Swallowing thickly, the boy quickly became aroused as he remembered last night.

"What." Noticing the blond staring at him, Gokudera shuddered and tensed uncomfortably; he felt as if he were being devoured by that gaze, and he had never felt as uncomfortable around Bel as he did now. "Stop staring at me, creep."

Bel blinked, having barely noticed how enticed he had become. He dropped his head, surprising Gokudera when he didn't say anything; he couldn't trust himself to speak without his voice squeaking, and he was sure that his cheeks had gone impossibly red; a prince couldn't be seen like this by a mere peasant.

"The fuck's wrong with you?" When he didn't get a reply, Gokudera just sighed and shrugged, going back to what he had been doing. "Freak…"

Peeking up beneath his long bangs, Bel licked his lips as he took in the sight of Gokudera's creamy skin. He wasn't sure why he wanted to touch it, to feel how smooth it was, but his hands begun to quiver with the need to reach out and run his palms over the older male's body. Biting back a moan that had almost slipped from his mouth, Bel chewed at his lip hard enough for a small trail of blood to slide down his chin.

Once he had dressed himself, Gokudera sent the younger a strange look before he left the room, muttering something under his breath. Bel just sat where he was, his hand in his lap as he tried to clear his mind; he was feeling so overwhelmed by what he could only describe as a feeling very similar to when he lusted for blood, and it made it hard to think straight.

Minutes passed by, and Bel could feel his self-control slipping; never before had it been so hard to gather himself when he was feeling like this. It felt like his need for something he didn't entirely understand was only growing, and he didn't know how to cope with it; for once, he couldn't ignore it until it went away on its own because it was only demanding more and more of his attention.

Deciding he couldn't keep doing this, Bel glanced over to the door. It wasn't locked, but maybe if he were to position himself in a particular way on the futon, that if someone were to walk in, the blankets would hide what he was doing.

Rolling onto his side, Bel unclipped his belt before he undid the zip on his pants. Reaching in, he gasped as he wrapped his hand around his hard shaft. He let his eyes close, losing himself in the sensations he had never felt until last night.

But then, before he could really get into it, he was startled by the door opening. Pulling his hand out from his pants, he was careful not to jostle the blankets. "Eh, Hayato-kun? Did you come back to spend more time with the prince?"

Lifting his head to look over at the door, Bel instinctively went into survival mode as he found someone he knew for a _fact _was not from Vongola, or even allied with them – he knew who this person was, because even in his own timeline, that family crest on the other's uniform was one that had done nothing but cause trouble for the Vongola.

Without hesitation, Bel slid his hands into his pockets, only to feel panic as he realised that his knives were not on him; they had been taken from him and placed somewhere Tsuna felt was safe. He knew that he was a sitting duck in this position, but even so, he couldn't help but wonder; if they were under attack, why had it not been announced? Why did it seem as if this man had just casually strolled into Gokudera's bedroom?

"Well, well, look who it is." The dark-haired man before Bel sneered. He had blue eyes that held nothing but amusement in them, and the blond couldn't help but shiver; all he could sense was malicious intent. "If it isn't the slut of the Varia. Did that damn bazooka hit you?"

"I'm not a slut." His body starting to quiver in anticipation of a fight, Bel curled in on himself; he knew he would lose like this, but still… The idea of a fight was one he could rarely ever pass up. "I'll kill you if you talk shit about me again."

Shaking his head, the other moved close enough to grab Bel's hands and pin them to the futon. "I digress; you are the sluttiest piece of trash I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. I never could stand faggots, and yet you had the whole of Varia fucking your ass, you sick little shit. Not to mention all the other whores you've picked up off the streets. Part of me doesn't even want to kill you because I don't want your blood on my skin; who knows what diseases I'll get from such filth."

Bel didn't understand what the man was saying to him; he didn't know anything about his future counterpart, and he couldn't see himself doing what he was being accused of; he had just discovered that he liked to touch himself with his hand, but other than that, the thrill of blood was far too captivating for him to want to give it up for something else. "…"

"I guess you're only here so that the Vongola can have their turn at pounding away inside of you." Backhanding Bel hard enough to snap the younger's face to the side, the older male wrapped his hand around the teen's throat before lifting him into the air. Bel choked and sputtered, trying to get free, but he was soon slammed against the wall so hard, he was sure he could feel blood dribbling from the back of his head. Raising familiar items into the boy's view, Bel's assaulter sneered. "Were you looking for these, by any chance?"

Choking, Bel's eyes widened at the sight of his knives; where had the other gotten them? Before he could even form coherent thought, the boy cried out as he felt himself being pinned to the wall by his own knives, his blood spilling and pooling on the floor beneath his feet. The attack had come so quickly, he wasn't prepared for the beating that had knocked him senseless; he could just hang there from the wall, his knives keeping him upright as he coughed up blood.

"I'm not finished yet."

Closing his eyes, Bel forced himself out of reality and into the back of his mind, unable to keep up with what was happening to him.

_**~~XX~~**_

Gokudera had been minding his own business as he made his way downstairs. He had been intending on having a smoke outside before leaving on his mission, but Ryohei had approached him with a serious look on his face.

"What do you want, turf top?" Shoving a hand in his pocket, Gokudera frowned at the older male; couldn't he just be left alone for a while?

"Did you hear what Sawada said?" The taller male crossed his arms against his chest, waiting impatiently for an answer. When none came, he said, "Sawada said Rokudo caught two of the Sera Family in the grounds. Rokudo finished them off good, but Sawada said to be careful and stay alert in case there are more hanging around."

Grunting, Gokudera pulled the packet of smokes from his pocket. "Yeah, whatever, turf top."

Ryohei didn't argue back; he instead asked, "When are you leaving for your mission?"

"After my smoke."

"What about Belphegor?"

"Hmm?" Meeting the stronger male's gaze, Gokudera stayed still. "What about him?"

"You're really going to leave him alone like this?"

Waving a dismissive hand, Gokudera started walking again. "He'll be fine. He's in my room."

"Are you sure about that one, octopus-head? Who's to say no one will get in and do something to him? They already got into the grounds."

"What are they gonna do? Rape him? Like anyone'd wanna touch the little creep…"

Ryohei knew he was getting nowhere, and he was quickly starting to lose his temper; why couldn't Gokudera see the way he was treating Belphegor? "Octopus-head, it has – Yamamoto?"

Gokudera turned around, finding Yamamoto entering the room, blood all over his shirt as he held what looked to be a deep gash that ran vertical from his collarbone down to his hip. "Baseball freak! What the fuck happened?!"

Shaking his head, Yamamoto coughed up blood. "There's more of them…" And with that said, the swordsman fell unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

Gokudera had been surprised by just how many enemies had invaded the Vongola Mansion; it seemed as if there had been never-ending waves of them coming from all directions, but the strength of the Vongola were not to be undermined; with minimal damage on their own ends, they had all survived the attacks.

Now, as Gokudera stood in the infirmary while one of the nurses wrapped a bandage around his arm, he glanced down at Yamamoto who was asleep in one of the beds; he had been caught off-guard, and though he had managed to cut through his own attackers, he had been injured badly.

"Gokudera-kun."

Looking instead over at the door, Gokudera stood up straight as his boss announced his presence. "Yes, Tenth?"

Tsuna was nursing a few cuts on his face, but he was otherwise okay. His eyes held a soft look as he seemingly searched the infirmary for someone, and when he didn't find who he was looking for, a smile graced his face. "I take it Belphegor is fine, then?"

"Huh?" Having completely forgotten about the young Varia, Gokudera shrugged. "No idea; I forgot he was here."

Tsuna frowned at this, shaking his head. Turning around, he gestured for the other to follow him. "I left him in _your _care, Gokudera-kun; you should have been looking after him. If anything's happened to him…"

Gokudera couldn't help but wince; he hated when Tsuna was mad at him, and if something had happened to Bel…

Tsuna was going to be _very _mad.

It was silent between the two as they hurried upstairs towards Gokudera's bedroom. They found the bedroom door was hanging open, spiking a bit of concern in the silver-haired man; he had shut the door when he had left this morning, so someone had gone through that threshold one way or another.

Entering the bedroom, Gokudera froze at the sight before them; blood was splashed all over the walls and the floor, specks of it even on the roof. Pinned to the wall by those familiar knives was Belphegor, the boy completely still as he seemingly hung limp.

"Belphegor!" Tsuna rushed forward, putting his hands on Bel's face. He leant in close, glad to hear slight breathing. Looking over his shoulder, he called for Gokudera. "Gokudera-kun, we've got to get him down! Be careful!"

Gokudera hesitated before he stepped forward, not sure why seeing this was affecting him so much; was it because he _knew _it was his fault, and that if Bel died, then…?

Gokudera should have just swallowed his pride and done what both Tsuna and Ryohei had told him to do, because if he had, this wouldn't be happening right now.

Once the knives had been removed from the thin body, Gokudera pulled Bel into his arms and carried him out of the room and towards the infirmary. The blond started stirring soon after leaving the bedroom, a loud moan of pain escaping his lips.

"Hayato…!" Bel curled in on himself, tears sliding down his cheeks. His head was lolling uselessly side-to-side, and Gokudera wasn't even sure he was coherent enough to know what was going on. "Hayato…!"

"Shh." Quickening his pace, Gokudera unconsciously pulled Bel closer against him. "Don't talk, stupid."

"Hayato, don't…" Letting out another loud moan, Bel's body spasmed in pain. "…D-don't… hate me… I'm sorry…"

"What are you talking about?" Not understanding why the other would apologise to _him _of all people, Gokudera frowned; they were supposed to hate each other, so _why? _

"I'm sorry!" Mewling in pain, Bel then fell unconscious once more.

"Let's hurry, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna ran ahead of his subordinate, intending on getting the infirmary ready as quickly as he could; Bel was badly hurt, even by Varia standards.

Gokudera nodded, not far behind the brunet. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, seeing Bel like this concerned him. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling, but what he _did _know was that he just didn't want the younger to die.

_**~~XX~~**_

According to the nurses who worked for the Vongola, Gokudera had sat by Bel's bedside for six hours already. The blond hadn't woken back up, and the nurses didn't expect him to do so any time soon; he had lost a lot of blood, and his body was very weak; it was expected for him to remain unconscious for quite a while.

Gokudera wasn't sure how much longer he was going to stay; he was too busy thinking about Bel and the way the boy had acted in his arms; had Bel just been delusional? Or had he sincerely been distressed?

Gokudera didn't know what to think; all he knew was that when his Varia counterpart finally regained consciousness, he held his breath in anticipation; how was Bel going to act now…?

The boy let out a loud groan as he arched his back. A ragged cough escaped his mouth as he rolled onto his side, IV drips lifting the blanket slightly. "Hayato…kun…"

Gokudera was hardly aware of himself reaching out and grabbing the smaller hand in his. He squeezed it tight before he said, "I'm here."

As they had before, tears started streaming down Bel's face. He writhed for a few seconds before he whimpered out, "Hayato… Hurts…"

"I'll get the nurses." Standing up to get the boy help, Gokudera was surprised when the blond yelped and squeezed his hand with surprising strength in his condition.

"D-don't go…!" Shaking his head, Bel whimpered again. "No…! Hayato-kun…! Don't… leave me… Stay… Please… I like you…"

"Fuck, did they hit your head _that_ hard?" Surprised by the younger's reaction, the silver-haired male sat back down, glad that Bel calmed at this; Bel supposedly liked being alone, so why had he acted like that? "You got brain damage or something?"

Bel didn't respond to these words; he simply pulled himself as close to the edge of the mattress as he could, using his other hand to grip Gokudera's sleeve. Beneath his long bangs, he allowed his eyes to close, his breathing harsh and laboured as he struggled to ignore the pain.

Gokudera pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a text to Tsuna asking him to send the nurses to Bel's side. He didn't know why he still sat there, watching as the younger was soon given more morphine; all he knew was that, once Bel had finally fallen asleep, Gokudera slept with him.


	8. Chapter 8

Since Bel's brief awakening, he had remained unconscious for three days. Gokudera had stayed with him, keeping him comfortable and making sure he was okay; the weather was cold, so sometimes more blankets were necessary. No one had come in to bother them, knowing that the silver-haired male was probably just trying to sort out his head in the only way he could see fit. They hadn't been wrong; Gokudera _had _been struggling.

_I thought he hated me as much as I hated him… _Reaching out to brush golden bangs away from closed eyelids, the Vongola Storm frowned. _He never gave me any reason to believe otherwise, and yet… But _why _would he like me in the first place? I've only ever given him hate… Does the Belphegor from our own timeline like me, too? Or just this one? _

_What the fuck… goes through his head if he thinks I'm someone to like…?_

Looking over his shoulder as he heard the infirmary door opening, Gokudera offered a smile to Tsuna. The brunet returned it, the room silent until he had sat by his right-hand man. "How's Belphegor?"

"Still out to it." Shrugging, Gokudera sighed. "I'm not sure if he's going to wake up and remember what he was saying – or if he even meant any of it. I don't know if he was delusional or not, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was."

"He wasn't delusional." Knowing full-well that Bel had been honest, Tsuna clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "He was telling you exactly how he felt. He must have been hurt and scared enough to drop all of his walls and tell you the truth; he wanted _you_ to help him."

"…" How was one supposed to react to information like that? If it had been Tsuna in the blond's position, then yeah, Gokudera would know exactly how he felt, but… Belphegor…? "But why would he…? I mean, to_ me_ of all people…? And what about the one from our own time?"

"I don't know, Gokudera-kun. But I have a feeling that even the one from our time likes you just as much; he's always listened to you the most when it comes to the Vongola, and you and Yamamoto are the only two he hasn't tried to murder since the Ring Battles."

"…"

"What I _do_ know is that _this _Belphegor likes you more than he wants you to know."

"What do you mean?" Cocking his head to the side, Gokudera frowned; what was Tsuna talking about? This was all just too much for him to take in.

"He likes you. He has a crush on you." Smiling softly, Tsuna shrugged slightly. "He knows his feelings are one-sided; he knows to keep it to himself."

"One-sided, huh?" Letting out a sigh, Gokudera palmed at his face; why did these words invoke more confusion in him? "…I… don't even know how _I _feel anymore…"

"Don't worry so much about it, Gokudera-kun. You'll work it out." With that said, Tsuna got back to his feet. "I need to go talk to Hibari-san about his next mission. I'll come and see you soon."

Gokudera nodded, not saying a word as his boss left the room. With a sigh, he turned back to Bel, glad that the unconscious male was at least peaceful in this state; he wasn't sure how he would feel if there were a permanent grimace of pain on that pale face.

Wishing he could feel the same, the Vongola Storm instead curled up on his chair, wondering if perhaps he himself could get some sleep. He wasn't sure he could cope with this when he was already so tired.

_**~~XX~~ **_

When Gokudera came to an uncertain amount of time later, he found himself just staring at Bel. His mind was running rampart, trying to understand how Bel could like someone like him, and for so long – especially after the way the silver-haired male had treated him. He wondered if Bel had ever felt depressed due to their unstable relationship, or if the older male truly didn't let it bother him. Bel had a displaceable personality, so it was hard to read him and predict the things he did.

Thinking back to that night in Sweden, Gokudera remembered how Bel had told him no one had ever wanted him, and how in return, he had stopped being wanted. Had the blond been through enough heartbreak, enough pain to shatter his trust in others? It would certainly explain why the Varia Storm had never seemed close to anyone but Mammon. It was as if the blond continuously pushed people away on purpose, only letting himself grow close to those he _wanted _to be near.

So why was Gokudera someone he wanted around in the first place? Because the blond had a crush on him? That couldn't be it; Bel had never been one for romantics because he fucked and he lusted, but he never loved.

Unless… Gokudera had always been the exception to that, for whatever twisted reason went through Belphegor's head.

Sighing, Gokudera reached out, brushing his fingertips against the younger's cold cheek. "You're confusing as fuck, you freak…"

But then, as Gokudera settled down once more in his chair, a question crossed his mind; what if… Gokudera _did _return his counterpart's feelings? What if… that was the reason their relationship was the way it was? Because of unspoken emotions?

If that were the case…

"Fuck."

And with that said, Gokudera decided he had done enough thinking for the day and would leave the rest for Bel when he came to.


	9. Chapter 9

When Bel's eyes fluttered open, the first thing he saw was Gokudera. The Vongola Storm was seated by the bed, a tired look on his face.

"Hayato-kun…?" Hating how scratchy his voice sounded, Bel winced; why did he have to sound as weak as he felt…? "Hayato-kun…"

Gokudera blinked a few times to wake himself up. Staying slouched in his chair, he allowed his green orbs to fix on the younger. "Yeah…?"

"What are…" Moving closer to the edge of the bed, Bel coughed. "…What are you… doing…?"

"What?" Reaching out to run his fingers through golden locks, Gokudera sighed. He wasn't oblivious to the way the younger leaned into his touch, and it made him wonder; what was that fluttering feeling in his chest? "I'm allowed to sit with you."

Bel hummed in response, letting his eyes slip closed; despite the pain coursing through his system, he was content; being so close to Gokudera soothed him more than even Mammon ever had. "…"

"How are you feeling?" Paying special attention to a certain spot on the side of Bel's head that had the boy purring, Gokudera rubbed the tips of his fingers against it.

"…Cold…" Not wanting to admit that he was in pain, Bel hid his discomfort. "Want 'nother blanket…"

Getting to his feet, Gokudera reached out and pulled the blankets higher. Tucking the boy in, he then sat back down. "Better?"

Bel nodded, letting out a yawn. Lifting a hand, he rubbed his wet eyes. "Hayato…kun…"

Gokudera wasn't entirely sure of why he was feeling so peaceful; was it because he and Bel weren't at each other's throats like usual? Because they were actually getting along for once? Surprisingly, Yamamoto had been right; Bel actually _wasn't _that bad when he wasn't getting on one's nerves. "What is it?"

"…Stay…?"

Gokudera nodded. Without thinking, and with truly no idea why he even did so, he leant forward, claiming Bel's lips with his own. The boy let out a started gasp, but he was quick to relax into the kiss, his tongue fumbling against the other's in a way that only inexperience could do. He reached out with one arm, shyly fisting the stronger male's jacket as he arched his back to press his chest against Gokudera's, melting into the kiss.

When they broke apart, a thin string of saliva connected them. Bel panted softly, peeking up at the older male beneath his long bangs. "Hayato-kun…?"

"Did you like that?" Not even sure of why he was whispering, Gokudera brushed golden bangs behind Bel's ear. He smiled as he received a nod in a response, not in the mood for fighting with his Varia counterpart. "You can have more if you want them."

Licking his lips in anticipation, Bel nodded. "I want them…"

With a nod, Gokudera leant in once more. He was gentler than he had ever been with Bel, his hands cupping pale cheeks. The blond let out a moan as he moved closer, not entirely sure of what the feelings inside of him were; just that they were nice and comforting for him.

Breaking apart once again, Bel reached out, wrapping his good arm around Gokudera's neck. His mind was hazy, and there was pressure in his pants once again, despite his pained state. "Hayato…kun…"

Kissing Bel's cheek, Gokudera straightened up, returning to his chair. "Let's not fight anymore."

Bel nodded in agreement, not wanting to fight if he could instead receive attention such as this. Letting his head fall to the side to look at the silver-haired male, he moaned quietly again. "Hayato-kun… I'm…"

Gokudera understood; moving to sit on the edge of the mattress, he pulled the blankets off of the thin body and palmed the bulge before him. Pulling Bel into a string of seemingly-endless kisses, he unzipped the younger's pants and reached past them, bringing the boy pleasure he had never received from someone else before.

When Bel had cried out with the force of his orgasm, Gokudera let the boy curl up in his lap, holding the slightly-shaking body close. Gokudera couldn't turn him away; not now, not anymore. If being close like this was what the younger wanted, then he would get it.

Gokudera couldn't be sure, but he felt as if he were quickly returning feelings he didn't even know he had inside of him, and he wondered just how far this would go when Bel had yet to return to his own timeline. Was it right of them to be like this when they both knew it would never last? Or should they enjoy it while they could, not knowing how long they had left with each other?

Deciding to just go with whatever happens, Gokudera pulled Bel into one last kiss before he laid them both down on the mattress, caressing blond hair until the boy had fallen asleep. The stronger male followed him, finding that, for the first time in his life, this kind of contact felt _right_.

Hopefully they would at least get a few more days out of it before the effects of the Bazooka finally wore off.

_**~~XX~~**_

Later that day, Gokudera had taken it upon himself to be the one to look after Bel. He had kept the boy comfortable and given him all of his medication, and even handfed him meals. Bel hadn't minded; in fact, he had preferred it; he liked the attention that he was getting, having always sought it from the Vongola Storm.

"Hayato-kun?" More coherent now that he had had another shot of morphine and wasn't in so much pain, Bel reached out, grabbing the man's sleeve. "I'm really tired. Will you sleep with me?"

Nodding, Gokudera put down the bowl of mush he had been feeding the blond out of. "Now?"

Bel nodded, letting a yawn escape his lips. "I've never… slept with someone before… Only Mammon…"

Gokudera nodded, climbing onto the bed. He felt Bel snuggle in close, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around the boy. "Are you okay?"

Bel nodded, clutching tightly to the other's jacket. He let his eyes slip closed as a soft mumble escaped his lips. "Have you ever had a boyfriend before…?"

Not sure what was with the random question, Gokudera hesitated before he answered. "…I've had a girlfriend before, but… She died. I couldn't protect her."

Bel couldn't understand what it was like to want to protect someone; he had never been able to love, much less feel the need to protect. He just did what he was told, and if people happened to die during, he blinked and never gave it a second thought.

"Did you love her?" Keeping his eyes closed, Bel moved closer against the older male.

"…Yeah, I did. I loved her a lot."

"Can you show me what love is?" Lifting his hand to pat Gokudera's cheek, Bel sighed. "I've never had love before. I don't know what it is."

Gokudera nodded. Reaching out, he tilted Bel's head so that he could kiss the corner of the boy's lips. "If that's what you want."

"It is. I want to see what I've missed out on."

"Okay, then." Wondering how long he would get to show the younger what love is, Gokudera nodded. Pulling the boy as close as possible, he held him tight. "We'll start tomorrow."

Speaking words he had never said before, Bel whispered, "Thank you…"

"…Yeah. Now go to sleep."

Bel didn't need to be told twice; he was out like a light within seconds.


	10. Chapter 10

When morning came around, Gokudera was the first one awake. He looked down at the boy in his arms, finding Bel still sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile, placing a kiss on the other's forehead. The blond stirred, but he didn't wake.

Untangling himself from the teenager, Gokudera sat up. He let out a yawn as he dragged his fingers through his silver locks, deciding that a coffee was in order. Taking one last look at the younger, he was just about to get up before he noticed that the front of Bel's pants looked as if they were damp. Reaching out, he swiped his fingers against the material before bringing them to his nose and determining that the boy had had a wet dream.

Gokudera's eyes softened at this, wiping his fingers against his pants before ruffling golden hair in an affectionate manner. He had almost forgotten how excited teenagers could become, and though Bel seemed very uneducated and naïve when it came to sex, at least he was still somewhat sexually healthy.

Climbing off the bed and making his way out of the infirmary, Gokudera made a mental note to bring Bel a hot chocolate; he could sip at it once he woke up.

"Gokudera-kun."

Turning around to find Tsuna approaching him, Gokudera halted. "Tenth."

"Is Belphegor doing okay?" Standing close by his best friend's side, Tsuna waited patiently for an answer.

"Yeah, he's fine. I think he's still just in a little bit of pain, but he's otherwise okay."

"That's good. I'm very worried about why the Bazooka effects still haven't reversed; it's never taken this long to go back to normal before."

Gokudera shrugged. "I'm not complaining; I like him better this way."

The brunet chuckled. "Is that so?"

Nodding, Gokudera started walking once more, knowing his friend would stay by his side. "He's more tolerable, and not as annoying."

In a knowing tone, Tsuna asked, "Do you think he's… something _more _to you now?"

"Something like that." Unsure of whether or not he wanted to talk about this so soon, Gokudera shook his head. "I guess we can just see what happens; who knows when the Bazooka effects will end."

"How do you think you'll take it when things go back to normal?"

"…" Stopping, Gokudera frowned; he hadn't thought of that. How _would _things work once the Belphegor of this time returned? Would they continue on the kind of relationship Gokudera was having with the younger Bel? Or would they go back to antagonising and hating each other? "…I don't know…"

Offering a kind smile, Tsuna shook his head. "I wouldn't think too much on it, Gokudera-kun; focus on now and get to that when it happens."

Gokudera nodded, knowing that was all they could do.

_**~~XX~~**_

Returning to his room not long later, Gokudera put a mug of hot chocolate on the bedside table. He sat down in the chair and pulled his phone out of his pocket, waiting patiently for the younger to wake

up. It didn't take Bel long to rouse; he had been startled awake by a bird flying into the window with a loud thump.

"Hayto-kun…?" Rolling onto his side to face Gokudera, Bel let out a yawn; he had been quick to relax when he realised he wasn't under attack.

Gokudera didn't speak until he had grabbed the mug of hot chocolate and lifted Bel into a sitting position. Resting the rim against the boy's lips, he waited patiently until the blond had tilted his head back in order to drink. "Is it good, Bel?"

Pulling away once he had had enough to drink, Bel nodded. He wiped milk from his chin before saying in a voice slurred with sleep, "Needs more sugar…"

Gokudera blanched at this. "Who the fuck puts sugar in their hot chocolate? Disgusting!"

Yawning, the boy cocked his head to the side. "You don't like sugar in your hot chocolates?"

"Fuck no! I like my teeth in tact!"

"I like sugar. Lussu always gave me lots of sugar when he made stuff for me."

Shoving in a playful manner at the younger, Gokudera said, "No wonder your teeth are shit."

"Oi, my teeth are just fine! I'm a prince! They're perfect!" Bel couldn't help but pout, crossing his arms against his chest in a stubborn manner.

The silver-haired male couldn't help but chuckle, ruffling the Varia Storm's hair. "I know, Bel. I was teasing."

His pout growing further, Bel fidgeted. "That's not very nice, Hayato-kun."

Leaning down to kiss soft lips gently, Gokudera offered a gentle smile. "Haven't I always been mean to you?"

"Shishi~" Bel nodded, wrapping his arms around Gokudera's neck. He kissed the corner of the older male's lips as he felt his pants grow tighter, his hips bucking up slightly in search of friction.

Gokudera, however, had to push the smaller male away reluctantly. "Don't get too excited unless you can get yourself off; I have to leave soon for an appointment in town."

"Appointment?" Putting his hand over his growing bulge, Bel moved closer to the other; he was more interested in what Gokudera had to say as the other's voice alone was making his downstairs twitch eagerly. "What for?"

"To test my eyes. The Tenth likes us to make sure we're in top form." Stretching slightly, Gokudera gestured to the younger's lap. "Are you going to take care of that or not?"

Humming, Bel looked down to where Gokudera was pointing. A thoughtful look crossed his face for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yeah, maybe. But you're more interesting, Hayato-kun; you make me feel good just by speaking."

Gokudera snorted. "How the fuck does that work? You gonna cream your pants if I say hello to you or something?"

"Cream my pants?" Cocking his head to the side, Bel waited patiently for a reply.

Smirking, the silver-haired male reached out, flicking Bel's forehead playfully. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Shut up! I'm a genius!" Pouting, Bel crossed his arms against his chest. "Just because I'm not a pervert like you!"

"Says the little boy with his dick begging to come out of his pants." Pulling his packet of cigarettes from his pocket, Gokudera laughed. "I need to go and get ready, so take care of that or something, freak."

"Hayato-kun, wait!" Moving forward to grab the other's sleeve, Bel's cheeks turned red. Beneath his long bangs, he avoided eye contact as he licked at his lips, trying to force his words from his mouth. "…I… I want you to be my boyfriend, Hayato-kun!"

Gokudera blinked, stunned by these words; surely Bel knew as well as he did that what they had right now couldn't last forever – it was only a matter of time before the boy was forced back into his own timeline.

Reaching out, the Vongola Storm cupped Bel's cheek as he leant in closer. "Bel…"

Closing the distance between them, Bel pressed his lips against the stronger male's. In a tone softer than usual, he said, "I know I can't stay, Hayato-kun… But I really want to know what having a boyfriend is like… The Hayato in my own time will never be with me like this…"

"Bel…" Closing his eyes, Gokudera wasn't sure how to reply; he hadn't wanted another relationship after losing his girlfriend the way he had; he hadn't been able to protect her, and he didn't want to lose another person the same way. He knew that if he were to be Bel's boyfriend, he wouldn't even get a chance to say goodbye when the time came; Bel would simply disappear without warning. …Just like his girlfriend.

Bel raised his own hand, resting his palm against warm cheeks. He used his thumb to brush away stray tears that were sliding down the soft flesh, not understanding the pain in his chest; never before had he felt _anything _but excitement at the sight of someone crying. Tears had always egged him on, encouraged him to cause pain and shed blood. But now…

Now, Bel didn't want to see tears coming from Gokudera _at all_.

"Don't cry, Hayato-kun." Not knowing how to go about the subject, Bel could only mimic the way his parents had once treated his tears. In an aggressive tone that could almost be considered threatening, he growled, "Crying is pathetic. You're weak if you cry. Useless."

Through his tears, Gokudera couldn't help but let out a choked laugh; oh, how contradictory Bel's words and his actions were. He shook his head before saying, "That's what someone always told you, isn't it?"

Bel startled at these words, though he wasn't sure why; was it because he had been read so easily? "…"

"Well, whoever told you that, Bel… They're wrong. They're so wrong. There's nothing wrong with crying. We're human. It's what we do. We all cry, for one reason or another. So whoever told you that you're pathetic, and useless and weak… They were _wrong_, Bel."

"…" Looking at his lap, Bel chewed at his lip; come to think of it, the last time he had cried was a few months after joining the Varia. He had been having nightmares ever since he had killed his family, and he had been so sleep deprived, he had lost control of his emotions. He had cried over everything, from Squalo yelling at him and making fun of him, to not getting to watch TV when he wanted to. He had thrown so many tantrums due to his struggles with sleep, but no one else had treated him the way his parents had whenever he cried; Lussuria had gently shushed him and rocked him to sleep, and Squalo had shut his mouth and left the room with an uncomfortable aura around him. Hell, Mammon had even taken to using her illusions to soothe him without expecting payment.

None of the Varia had ever treated him like shit for crying; they had instead accepted it, in their own weird little ways.

Letting his own tears slide down his cheeks, Bel let out years' worth of repressed emotions. Feeling Gokudera wrap his arms tightly around him, he pressed closer to the older male; he had never known comfort like this before, and he was liking it very much. "Please, Hayato-kun… You're… the only one… I trust…"

"…" Lifting Bel's chin so that their noses brushed together, Gokudera stared at where the younger's eyes should be. Letting out a small sigh, he then nodded. "Okay. I'll be your boyfriend. Just… don't forget that you won't be here forever."

Putting a feather-light kiss on his Vongola counterpart's lips, Bel nodded. "I know…"

"Good." Brushing golden bangs back, Gokudera was disappointed when the younger squeezed his eyes shut tight instead of letting him see his eyes. He didn't say anything about it; he just said, "I need to go and get ready, Bel. Stay here and get some rest. I'll be back soon."

Bel nodded, rubbing at his eyes. "Hayato-kun…"

"It's okay, Bel. I won't be long." With that said, Gokudera left the infirmary. Stopping just outside the door, he leant heavily against the wall as he raised his arm to cover his eyes. He bit back his emotions as memories of his girlfriend crossed his mind, wishing he could move on already, but not knowing how.

Was he just setting himself up for more pain and heartbreak by being with Bel? Or would this be what he needed in order to finally heal? Gokudera wasn't sure; all he knew was that he was soon sliding down the wall in order to sit on the floor and cry as grieving struck him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Ne, Hayato-kun…?" Sleepily lifting his head from Gokudera's chest a few weeks later, Bel tried to blink his exhaustion away.

Gokudera put down the magazine on cryptoids he had been reading, looking at the boy curled up against him. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was…" Raising his hand to slip beneath his long bangs, Bel rubbed at his eyes. Yawning, he next said, "I wanna do something with you…"

"Like what?" Cupping Bel's cheek, Gokudera waited patiently for an answer.

"Hmmm… I don't know. What do you wanna do, Hayato-kun?"

"I need to go into town soon and get some stuff." Sliding further up the mattress, the older male made himself more comfortable. "You can come with."

The blond nodded. With his exhaustion shining through, he whispered, "I wanna…"

Reaching out to sit Bel on his lap, Gokudera held the smaller body close to him. "Go and jump in the shower while I get ready. Want a hot chocolate?"

"Three sugars… Don't forget them again, Hayato-kun…" Slowly bringing himself onto his own feet, Bel didn't wait for the other to reply; he simply dragged himself across the room with a clear limp to his gait; his left leg was still banged up from the previous attack on them, and the nurses who had cared for him weren't sure if it would heal properly.

Gokudera was quick to the leave the room so that he could head down to the kitchen and make himself a coffee; despite it being early afternoon, he was still rather tired himself.

Making Bel's hot chocolate first, Gokudera shuddered as he dropped the sugar into the mug; how could Bel drink this shit? Shaking his head at the younger's antics, the Vongola Storm continued on with his task; at least the blond had calmed down considerably over the weeks, and Gokudera no longer felt like snapping his neck every time he so much as heard the younger's name.

When Bel was behaving himself so well, Gokudera couldn't help but let himself grow attached a little more each day to his Varia counterpart. However, he didn't think about what it could mean – he _couldn't _think about it, not entirely sure he wanted to know his true feelings towards Bel.

With a sigh, he poured milk and hot water into both mugs, decorating the hot chocolate with a few marshmallows to keep the blond happy. Taking a seat in the dining room, he drank his coffee in silence as he waited for Bel to get out of the shower; he knew all too well how long the kid could take in there.

"Yo, Gokudera."

Lifting his head at his name, Gokudera sighed as he found Yamamoto approaching him. "What do _you _want, baseball freak?"

"You've been spending so much time with Bel lately; none of us have really seen you very much of you."

"You got a problem with that?" Narrowing his eyes, Gokudera took another sip of coffee.

"Of course not; I'm really happy Bel is getting along so well with someone." Rubbing at his eye, the taller male then said, "Is it true? Are you and Bel really dating now? Because Mukuro said you are, but I don't know whether to believe him."

"I'm not answering that, baseball freak." Standing up from his chair, Gokudera drank the last bit of his coffee before putting the mug back on the table. Snatching up the hot chocolate, he started walking away. "Whatever the knife freak and I are is no one's business but our own. Butt out of it."

Yamamoto frowned. He knew he shouldn't have been so tactless; his friend was still hurting over losing his girlfriend, and with Bel in the picture…

Well, it was no surprise that the silver-haired man was grouchy and defensive. Yamamoto just hoped that soon, Gokudera would be able to free himself from the burden he carried and finally move on.

_**~~XX~~**_

Staring out of the passenger window of Gokudera's car, Bel absentmindedly played with the sleeve of his striped shirt. He was watching the world go past him, his mind wandering; so many people going about their own business, and yet he was sure that all of them would be a most satisfying slaughter, and none of them even realised it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Turning to look at Gokudera, Bel blinked. Cocking his head to the side, he said, "Hayato-kun wouldn't be interested."

"Yeah?" Sending the younger a challenging glance, Gokudera turned his attention back to the road in front of them. "Why's that?"

Bristling, Bel simply said, "Because Hayato-kun doesn't share my artistic views."

Falling silent, the silver-haired male dropped it; he knew what was going through his boyfriend's head now, and he didn't want to hear about it; Bel was twisted and unstable, and Gokudera wanted nothing to do with that side of the younger.

"What was your girlfriend like?"

Looking back at the smaller male, Gokudera frowned; he hadn't expected such a question, and he wasn't sure he wanted to answer it; it pained him greatly to talk about his girlfriend. "…Why do you ask?"

Disregarding that question, Bel continued on. "Was she pretty?"

"…" Thinking back to curly black hair Gokudera had loved to run his hands through, the young man felt a lump forming in his throat. "…Yes… She was… the most beautiful person I'd ever seen…"

Wondering if Gokudera would have found her more attractive if he were to drag his blades through her body in order to paint her flesh with her own blood, Bel sat up a little straighter. "You were in love?"

Gokudera nodded. "…"

Licking his lips, Bel asked the question that bothered him most; why did it annoy him to think that the answer could be yes? "Did you ever have sex with her?"

"Of course, Bel. We… We almost had a baby together… But she miscarried…"

Bel couldn't care about that; it only made him dislike a woman he had never met even more – Gokudera was _his, _and Bel didn't like sharing. "How did she die? Was there lots of blood?"

Putting his foot on the brake, Gokudera flinched at the memories he wished didn't plague him all the time. "…Yes, Bel… There was… More blood than I thought could spill from someone… And she died in my arms after what felt like forever…"

"What happened?" Pulling one of his knives from his pocket, Bel licked at the blade.

"…She was held hostage; used as a bargaining tool for information on the Vongola… There were too many in that family for us to handle by ourselves; we had the Varia join us. You – well… your self from this timeline, that is… You got too excited and acted against orders; you made the first move when you had been told several times not to… One of your knives went off course and made the first mark in her. From there… they had no use for her anymore… With your own knife, they tortured her…"

"Do you hate me for it?" His head tilting further, Bel held his breath; it would be reasonable to assume that Gokudera would hold ill feelings for him after this incident, but…

To be honest, Bel had never sensed _anything _like that from Gokudera since his time here in this other timeline.

"I never blamed you." Whispering, Gokudera felt tears well up in his eyes. "Never… You hadn't meant for it to happen; none of us had noticed a break in that length of wire… The knife didn't follow the others, and there was nothing any of us could do about it; by the time we realised, it was too late. That… wasn't your fault…"

"Does my older self know you don't blame me?"

Shaking his head, Gokudera flicked his indicator on so that he could park his car, feeling too emotionally unstable to continue driving. "We haven't… ever spoken about that night. When it happened… When it happened, Squalo and Lussuria took you away so I couldn't see you. I didn't see you again for a few months, and the next time we were together… we both pretended it never happened."

"This is the first time it's come up between us, then. And I… don't even know what you're talking about." Letting out a sigh, Bel shook his head.

"I like talking about it to you, surprisingly." Rubbing at his eyes, Gokudera shrugged. "Somehow, it makes me feel a little lighter in telling you this."

With the car parked safely on the side of the road, Bel leant across in order to hug his boyfriend. "I'm sorry for what I did, Hayato-kun."

"Don't apologise; it's not _your _fault." Pushing back on frail shoulders, Gokudera next ran his hand through his silver locks. "_You _didn't do it, so don't apologise for actions _you _didn't do."

"I know. But I wanted to apologise anyway, Hayato-kun. I know I haven't been very good to you in my own time, and probably no better in this one, either. But you've looked after me very well now, and you didn't have to do that. Even Lussu and Squ haven't looked after me as well as you do."

"…" Closing his eyes, Gokudera tried not to _feel_; there were just too many emotions coursing inside of him, and he felt as if he would soon explode from the intensity of them all. "…Well… That's what you do when you care about someone… You take care of them…"

"Does that mean you care about me?" Sending his boyfriend a hopeful look, Bel was unaware of his heartbeat speeding up. "No one's cared about me, before. I mean… Lussu fussed over me sometimes, but… a lot of the time he got angry with me and hit me… Squ and Boss, too. Mammon is the only one who's never lost it at me, but I don't think she cares all that much for me, either."

"I don't think it's not that they don't care about you, Bel." Shaking his head, Gokudera tried to see it from the other Varia members' viewpoints; Bel could be an infuriating little shit, spoilt and selfish as all hell, so it wouldn't be surprising if the others were just losing their patience with him due to their stressful lives - it wasn't that they didn't care about their young teammate; it was that the blond was catching them on bad days and bringing it on himself. "Maybe it's just not a good time for them. You _do _piss people off easily, after all."

Humming softly as he thought things over, the boy's frown soon turned to a small smile. "Maybe, Hayato-kun~ Do you think if I listened to them, they would like me better?"

Reaching out to thread golden locks behind the smaller male's ear, Gokudera nodded. "Yeah, they should. I like you better now that we aren't fighting all the time."

"I always liked Hayato-kun lots~" Unaware of the way his cheeks started to darken with shyness, Bel cocked his head to the side, his long bangs tilting downwards and giving the Vongola Storm a glimpse into beautiful purple orbs. "Lots and lots~ I thought about you all the time, Hayato-kun~ Sometimes when I wasn't feeling right and couldn't sleep, thinking about Hayato-kun made me feel better~"

Gokudera chuckled. He moved his hand from Bel's hair in order to cup the younger's soft cheek. "Is that so?"

"Yup~" Closing the distance between their faces, Bel rubbed his cheek against his boyfriend's. Wrapping his arms around the older male, he let out a shy giggle before whispering, "The prince wants to have his first time with you, Hayato-kun~"

"We're not doing it in my car." Pushing on Bel's shoulders so that the smaller male would give him some room, Gokudera sighed. "I'm not getting that shit all over my interior."

Bel giggled, his hips twitching in anticipation. "When we get home, then?"

Gokudera nodded. "I guess. Unless you're chicken and decide to back out; it's going to hurt."

Pouting, Bel folded his arms against his chest before huffing. "Don't underestimate me, Hayato-kun!"

Gokudera laughed. "Okay, okay. Just sit back down so I can start driving again."

Bel did as he was told, remembering what Gokudera had said; others might like him better if he listened instead of arguing and refusing to do what he was told like he always did with his fellow Varia members. It wasn't that he cared what people thought about him, or if they even wanted him around in the first place; it was simply, now that he knew what it was like to have someone care about him, he wanted to see if he could change his relationships with most of the other Varia. If they still hated him, then that was fine; he would simply hate them back. But if they decided to give him a bit of care and kindness like Gokudera…

Then just maybe, Bel would finally let down his walls and behave himself better.

While Bel had begun daydreaming in the passenger seat, Gokudera couldn't help but feel lighter than he had in a long time. Had it been because he had finally talked things out with someone? With _Bel, _no less?

Whatever the reason, Gokudera felt as if the current smile on his face was genuinely happy; not one laced with hidden agony like it had been ever since his girlfriend's death.

_**A/N **_**Does anyone want me to do the lemon? If I were to do it, I would only leave it up here for a few days for everyone to read it before cutting out the lemon and moving it to my adultfanfiction account (username Shadow15) as to not compromise my account. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N I was going to do a lemon in this chapter, but as I've been having trouble with my depression lately, I just can't get the motivation to even come near the computer when I think about writing a lemon, and if I were to put it off, I would never finish this story. So I'm going to continue on without the lemon, but maybe in future, I will come back and add in a lemon chapter just for you guys. **

Curled up on the couch in the living room, Bel nibbled at the sushi Yamamoto had made for him earlier. He was waiting patiently for Gokudera to come back from Tsuna's office, the two organising a meeting between the Vongola and Shimon families. Bel had been content with his sushi and the TV, still feeling a bit of pain in his backside; his first time _had _been painful in a way he had never experienced before, and yet… the sensations Gokudera had given him had been overwhelmingly delicious.

"Oya? What are _you _doing down here? Should you not be back upstairs getting your ass pounded some more?"

Bel frowned as he looked over towards the doorway, finding the Vongola Mist standing there with a look of distaste on his face. "Fuck you; I'll do what I want."

Clearing his throat, Mukuro stepped further into the room. "Disgusting vermin such as yourself is not allowed to touch me. I would never even _consider _fucking you if my life _depended _on it. How Hayato can touch such disease-ridden filth is beyond me."

Bel's jaw dropped at these words, having never expected them. Squalo had screamed and shouted at him many times over their years together, but not even _he _had put the blond down like this; Squalo had... Squalo had _respected _Bel enough to never talk to him like this. Hell, even _Gokudera _had had enough respect for his arch nemesis to not say those kinds of things.

But Mukuro…

"…" Pulling his jaw taut, Bel reached into his pocket to fish out a few knives. Pulling them into view, he growled, "Say that again and I'll make you into a cactus."

Letting Mist flames leak out, Mukuro stepped closer. "Try it, little boy. The rest of the Vongola will spend years trying to find every part of you, and in the end, it'll be like putting a jigsaw puzzle back together."

"Now, now, guys; don't fight." With Yamamoto's voice soon following Mukuro into the room, the two turned their attention to the Rain Guardian. "Tsuna and Gokudera won't be very happy."

"How Tsunayoshi feels is of no concern to me." With that said, Mukuro turned around and exited the living room.

"Are you okay, Bel?" Yamamoto put his attention onto the blond, finding the younger looking as if he were upset. "What did he say?"

"That I have diseases, and I'm filthy…" Clenching his hands tightly, Bel thrust one of his knives into the couch beneath him.

"Bel, you _know _none of that's true." Sitting on the couch beside the younger, Yamamoto smiled. He wasn't afraid of the knives dancing dangerously across his thigh; he trusted Bel not to hurt him. "Mukuro's just angry. He's slept with you before."

"He has?" Sending Yamamoto a disbelieving look, Bel cocked his head to the side. "But… _Why? _Why did I sleep with _him?_"

Chuckling, Yamamoto cleared things up. "Well, it wasn't long after the Representative Battles."

"Representative Battles?" Chewing at his lip, Bel hated feeling out of the loop; so many things he had done in this timeline that he truly had no idea about…

"Yes. In your world, are you aware of the Shimon Family?"

"No…"

Tapping at his chin, Yamamoto's eyes crinkled with kindness. "It will take too long to explain everything to you, Bel. But just trust me on this. After the Representative Battles, you got into Xanxus' wine stash, and you got very drunk. You found yourself at Kokuyo Land, and though I'm not entirely sure of why you went there, I think it was because you had a bone to pick with Fran."

Feeling his stress growing as Yamamoto listed yet another name he had no knowledge of, Bel raised slightly-shaking hands to his head, ducking it as he pulled his knees to his chest. "Who's Fran…?"

"An illusionist Mukuro has been training, and a former Mist Guardian to the Varia."

"So… something happened to Mammon…?" Not knowing why he felt frightened of the idea of Mammon having to be replaced, Bel winced; this was just so much to take in…

Yamamoto nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid so. But that is another very, very long story. She is currently fine and with the rest of the Varia."

Bel nodded, feeling a little better at this; as long as Mammon was okay… "What happened next…?"

"Again, I don't know the full story, but Mukuro intercepted you before you could get to Fran. Whatever happened there, no one but you and Mukuro know, but… From what I've heard, you were drunk enough to seduce Mukuro, and… Well, you both slept together. I believe the two of you both regretted it the morning after, and from there, it's created nothing but more conflict between the two of you."

"…How old was I? Was it my first time?"

Yamamoto hummed, trying to find the appropriate answers to the questions. "Well, you were seventeen. And I'm pretty sure you were still a virgin; it wasn't until after that did you really start forming observable interest in sex."

Bel let out a groan. "So I gave my first time away because I was drunk? Now I feel dirty all of a sudden."

Putting his hands on frail shoulders, Yamamoto shook his head. "It happens, Bel. It's nothing to feel dirty about. I don't think your other self feels dirty about it, so you shouldn't, either. Especially since you just gave _your_ first time to someone who really _does _love you."

"Eh?" Cocking his head, Bel frowned. "Hayato-kun… loves me…?"

"Yup. He won't admit it to you – at least, not so soon. But I can tell he's really starting to love you because he's actually spending time _away _from Tsuna. He wouldn't do that for just _anyone_ – in fact, the only other person he's done it for was his girlfriend. That's how I can tell."

Smiling shyly, Bel wrapped his arms around himself in a self-conscious manner. "I… I like being loved, Takeshi-kun…"

"It _is _a good feeling, isn't it?" Patting golden locks in an affectionate manner, Takeshi smiled. "No matter what happens from here on in – whether you stay in this timeline, or you go back to your own – I'm sure you'll still be loved, Bel."

"Even in my own time?" Biting his lip, Bel shook his head. "I'm not so sure about that, Takeshi-kun; everyone hates me back there. I want to stay here with Hayato-kun forever."

"I'm _positive _that even in your own time you'll find someone, whether it be Gokudera or someone else. The Bel from our time… He was only alone because he _chose _to be alone. He didn't want to settle down with anyone, because for whatever reason, he never wanted to be with the same person twice."

Looking at his lap, Bel gripped his pants tightly. "…I think he's lonely, and afraid of getting too close to people… Like me…"

"You got close to Gokudera, though."

"…" Bel nodded, another smile slowly forming on his lips. "You're right, Takeshi-kun. If… If I have to go back… Can you help my other self to not be so scared? If he comes back, I _know _he'll be happy with Hayato-kun. So, please? Make him happy? I don't know about in this timeline, but… in my own… I've already been through a lot… I don't want him to have to hurt even more than I'm sure he already does."

"I'll do my best, Bel." Reaching out to hug the younger, Takeshi smiled. "I promise."

Bel couldn't help but smile back, having always found the older male's happiness to be contagious – now was no exception, of course. "…Thank you…"

"You're welcome, Bel. Are you almost done with your sushi? I can make you some more if you want it."

"I'm kind of full; can I have some more later?"

"Of course." Pulling away from the boy, Yamamoto stood up. "I'm going to go and see how Tsuna and Gokudera are doing. You can come up whenever you want, Bel; Tsuna won't mind."

"Okay." Watching the Rain Guardian leave the room, Bel then turned back to the TV. He was no longer interested in the anime he had been watching; he instead was more focused on his thoughts as a huge smile broke out on his face. Curling into a ball of excitement, the blond giggled before rolling around on the couch. "Hayato-kun loves the prince~! The prince loves his Hayato-kun, too~!"

Rolling around in an attempt to hold in all of his joy, Bel couldn't care about anything else; all that mattered was that the person he loved, loved him in return. It hadn't hit him until that moment, but after speaking with Yamamoto, he knew that what he felt for Gokudera was more than just a crush – and the only logical explanation he could come up with was that it was love.

Bel had never thought such happiness could exist until this moment, and he hoped it would never end.


	13. Chapter 13

"Ne, Hayato-kun? Can I come with you on your mission?" From his position on Gokudera's bed, Bel watched his boyfriend robe up from their earlier activities together. The boy was still naked, laying on his stomach as he kicked his legs back and forth in the air.

Gokudera looked over his shoulder at the younger, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he did the buttons on his jacket up. "You realise it's going to be dangerous for you? Your Varia Ring hasn't been upgraded, so you can't fight properly."

"Yeah, but I'm really bored." Sighing, Bel dropped his head down onto the mattress. "Please? I'll suck you again."

Gokudera sighed, knowing the boy wouldn't give up. Would it really hurt to let him tag along for a while? Bel _was _still a Varia member, after all; he _could _handle himself if he stayed with the Vongola Storm and didn't wander off. So what was the problem? "Alright. But _only _if you stay with me and let me handle things."

Bel giggled, nodding in response; he was just happy that he could spend more time with Gokudera. "I will get ready~!"

"I'd wanna hope you do; I'm not dragging your ass out in public in just your birthday suit."

Giggling again, Bel snatched up his favourite shirt from the ground. "Only Hayato-kun gets to see me in my birthday suit~ Does Hayato-kun like it~?"

"You know I do…" His voice a little softer, Gokudera let his eyes wander over the younger's body. Bel's flesh was so soft, so smooth despite the various scars all over the boy that would probably never disappear. He knew those wounds hadn't come from his Varia missions, and when he tried asking about them, Bel simply said he didn't want to talk about it.

Smiling to himself, Bel grabbed the rest of his clothing before heading into the personal bathroom, leaving Gokudera to his own thoughts.

Gokudera was a little concerned about bringing Bel along with him, but he knew he should trust in the boy's abilities; Bel was a Varia Officer for a reason.

_**~~XX~~**_

After hours of driving, Gokudera pulled his car over and parked it beneath the light of a street lamp. He and Bel exited it as quietly as they could, the silver-haired man locking it before leading his boyfriend over to the abandoned factory just down the road.

"Be as quiet as you can, Bel; don't let them know we're coming."

The boy nodded, his hand reaching up to slip into Gokudera's. "I know, Hayato-kun."

They were silent as they closed the distance between the factory, not a word so much as whispered as they soon stepped inside. Gokudera was unaware of the way he walked in front of his boyfriend in an attempt at hiding him, but Bel noticed, and it annoyed him.

Tugging at the older male's sleeve, Bel pouted as they both stopped walking. "Hayato-kun…! I don't _like _being treated as a child…!"

Gokudera frowned for a few seconds before he nodded, stepping to the side. Ruffling golden locks, he then continued forward with Bel behind him. He couldn't help but smile as he felt the younger pressing closer to him, loving how his Varia counterpart could never seem to get enough of being with him.

"Do you know where they're hiding?" Whispering as quietly as he could, Bel looked up into Gokudera's face.

"Tenth said it's a huge drug deal, so I doubt they'd be somewhere obvious. Probably further into the building. There's a lot of ground to cover."

Looking around at his surroundings, Bel wondered how long this building had been abandoned for; it was decrepit, with weeds growing through the cracks in the walls. Glass shards lay on the ground from where windows had been shattered, and there was graffiti through most of the building. Some of the machines that had once been used to produce whatever this factory was used for lay abandoned on the ground, the rest covered in rust and cobwebs as they stood haphazardly where they were left, looking as if they would fall with the slightest of breezes any day now.

With his boots carefully stepping through a patch of glass, Bel uttered, "I don't like this place, Hayato-kun." Having seen a lot in his sixteen years of life, Bel wasn't afraid of this place; he had simply watched many, _many _things unfold in these kinds of buildings.

"I know." Squeezing the hand still in his own firmly, Gokudera glanced down at his boyfriend. "It'll be fine, though."

Bel fell silent at this, continuing to walk with silent steps. He was so light on his feet, not a sound was heard from him, something he had long-since found very useful; without his own noises added into the mix, he could focus on sounds that weren't his, alerting him to when he was no longer alone.

Like now, as Bel easily picked up footsteps that sounded nothing like Gokudera's quiet pace.

Coming to a halt, Bel immediately jerked Gokudera closer to him. Looking over his shoulder at where the footsteps were coming from, he found that they still had time to hide; it seemed that whoever was coming closer still had yet to turn the corner.

Taking refuge behind fallen machinery, the two Storm guardians dropped to their knees, listening carefully; if they let their presence be known, it could mean the end of them both.

"I know you're in there, Vongola rat." The voice floating through the air was a malicious one, cruel amusement unconcealed within it. "We were watching you and your little blond on the cameras. You can't hide from us."

While Gokudera muttered curse words, Bel remained silent. He dipped his hand into his pockets, resurfacing with some knives. "Can I take him out, Hayato-kun?"

Shaking his head, Gokudera put his hand on the younger's shoulders. "Don't; they won't play around, Bel. I recognise that voice; he's from a very strong family."

"If they're that strong, why did the Vongola only send you to deal with them?" Twirling one of his blades in impatience, Bel felt himself growing excited; it had been too long since he had had the chance to rip, and how he longed for this moment.

"Because Tenth didn't know who was involved, and he wouldn't have expected them; we didn't realise they were trafficking drugs…" Pulling his phone from his pocket, Gokudera hit speed dial before sending an emergency text requesting backup; even _he _wasn't stupid enough to think that the two of them could handle this – a few of them, yes. But not a whole horde of them as Tsuna had predicted there to be.

"…" Chewing at his lip, Bel's body started quivering, wanting desperately to be given the okay to do what he did best. "Hayato-kun…"

"…" Glancing at Bel, and then over the machinery they were hiding behind, Gokudera knew they had no choice but to try and retreat before more of them came; he wouldn't _dare _try and handle this on his own – not when he knew he would never make it back to Tsuna if he so much as tried. "Bel, can you use your wires to stop him from getting closer to us? We need to run."

Bel nodded, licking his lips. "Can I rip, too?"

"Do your best. Do it now, while there's only a small space for you to block." Watching as Bel immediately jumped to his feet and threw his knives with precision, Gokudera waited until the other had ducked once more. "Done?"

"Yeah. He moved out of the way, but I got his stomach." Getting back to his feet when Gokudera grabbed his hand, Bel followed the older male back the way they had come. They both ducked as bullets started chasing them, the roaring bang of bullets upon rusted metal giving the blond a headache.

"Don't stop, Bel; we're almost there." Glancing back at his partner, Gokudera was relieved to see the boy unscathed; if they were to stop due to injury, it would most certainly be the end of them.

Bel didn't reply; he was too busy scanning his surroundings, knowing that this was just too good to be true; if the enemy had been watching them previously, then there was no way they would send just _one _of them against a _Vongola Guardian_, no matter _how strong _Gokudera said they were. There had to be a catch to this; something they had both missed…

_Slam!_

Skidding to a stop, Bel tried to pull Gokudera back with him, but it was too late; the silver-haired male ran straight into the door that had been slammed shut out of nowhere, a loud crack resounding through the corridor they had been running through. Bel barely had time to process what had just happened before a blur came from their sides, a body _much _larger and _far _stronger than he and Gokudera combined taking the Vongola Storm by the throat and body slamming him into the wall, making sure to smash the back of the young man's head against the wall hard enough to leave blood in their wake.

Before Bel could even react, a second body came from behind him, knocking him to the ground and holding him there. A third person knelt beside them, running their hands all over his body as they searched for every last knife he had hidden on him.

"Get off!" Bel kicked out like a wild horse, snarling as he writhed; how _dare _peasants touch royalty like this?! "Get the fuck off me!"

Bel gasped as someone gripped the back of his head and none-too-gently pushed his face into the rotten floorboards, breaking his nose in the process.

"Look at the Vongola squirm."

Turning his head to the side so that he could see Gokudera, Bel watched his boyfriend lay on the floor. The silver-haired male was barely moving, slowly rolling onto his side as he dragged his arm lazily across his chest, clearly in a daze from the assault.

"…" Trying to look up at the man who was holding him to the ground, Bel growled again.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think this was one of the Varia's own guardians, but he's a complete shrimp." Bel winced at the voices behind him, hating the laughter that filled his air. "He looks just like that slutty Storm Guardian from the Varia, doesn't he? But he's much too young."

"Fuck you…" His eyes widening beneath his long bangs as he felt his shoulder blade surely being broken, Bel let out a strangled cry.

"A little boy like yourself shouldn't be playing around in places like this. Little boys like yourself… will get _hurt_."

Bel shuddered as he felt a tongue lick at the shell of his ear. He could feel hands roaming down his body, and it only fuelled his anger; how _dare _they make a mockery of him?! "Get the fuck off me if you want to live…"

"Big words coming from such a little boy." More laughter. Hands travelled to places that only Gokudera and himself had ever touched Bel in, and the boy started bucking more violently than ever in an attempt to shake them off him. "Even your cock agrees with us; you _are _a little boy. We might have trouble trafficking _you _off, but we can still break you in here and now – no one wants an unmanageable slut with a dick barely big enough to give them pleasure."

Bel flushed with embarrassment, unused to people picking on his penis size; even _Squalo _had never teased him about that before, and nothing was taboo to the Varia Rain. "Remove your hand, peasant!"

Just as hands started unclipping the boy's belt, Bel startled at the small explosion just across from him; it seemed that Gokudera had come to as he recognised that attack; that explosion was a miniature dynamite the Vongola Storm only ever used in extremely close combat.

Bel ducked as more dynamite came his way, effectively scattering his attackers. He scooped up his fallen knives before scurrying over to his boyfriend, seeing that the older male wasn't in the best of shape; his head must have suffered a significant blow as Gokudera seemed sluggish and uncoordinated.

"Hayato-kun?" Putting his hand on a larger one, Bel looked up into green eyes. "Can you fight?"

Gokudera nodded, offering a small smile to the younger that didn't fool Bel in the slightest; his Vongola counterpart was fatigued, and probably struggling to keep conscious as it was. "Are you okay, Bel?"

"Yeah. I told you I could handle things, Hayato-kun."

There was a lot Gokudera could have replied with, but that would have to wait; now wasn't the time to get smart with the blond.

"Fight back all you want; even if you manage to take us down, you'll exhaust yourselves to your deaths; more of us will stream from this building and take our places."

Bel didn't wait for his lover to give him the okay; he simply threw his knives before almost collapsing to his knees from his broken shoulder. Hissing in a breath, Bel raised his hand to hold it.

"Stay back, Bel." Stepping in front of the other, Gokudera pulled sticks of dynamite from his pockets. Lighting them from the cigarette Bel hadn't seen him start to smoke, the silver-haired man soon tossed them to the enemy before shoving Bel backwards, away from the blast.

The force of the explosions had rocked the already-unstable building, and when it became clear that it was starting to crumble, Gokudera knew they had to get out through whatever means necessary; picking Bel up from the ground, he tossed more dynamite behind them as he started to run.

However, in his weakened state, Gokudera hadn't been able to move with as much agile, and it had been only too easy for him to fall to a gunshot wound to the middle of his back. Bel fell from his boyfriend's arms, spread out on the ground as he watched the enemy close in on them both.

Tossing his knives wildly, Bel hissed as he realised their situation; they were either going to be shot to death here and now, or they were going to be crushed to death by a collapsing factory – and neither of them were very high of his to-do list.

"Bel…"

Looking back at Gokudera, Bel felt emotion he had never felt before well up inside of him; seeing the hopeless look the older male gave him through half-cracked eyelids, the boy felt himself being consumed by the desire to protect Gokudera, no matter what it took.

"Get out of here, Bel… Run…"

Shaking his head, Bel stood his ground. He knew that it was useless, but he wasn't going to abandon Gokudera – not now, not when he had finally found someone he _loved_. "No."

Unafraid of the gun that was soon pressing against his forehead, Bel quivered in excitement; if he could just…

Gokudera winced at the sight before him, knowing that there would be no hesitation in pulling the trigger and sending Bel's brains splattering – however, what soon startled him the most was not the deafening bang that was almost louder than the collapsing building itself, but the pink smoke that soon engulfed where Bel had been seconds previously.

And then, standing there in the boy's place, was the Varia's genius himself; twenty-six-year-old Belphegor who didn't seem disconcerted by the situation at all.

"Bel…"

The blond Guardian didn't even look at Gokudera; he just sneered at their attackers as he calmly raised his hand, wires glinting in the rays of the moon that shone through what had already collapsed. He said nothing as he slashed the enemies in front of him, blood spilling all over his hands and clothing, but he simply laughed.

"What have you gotten yourself into now, Hayato-kun?" Knowing not to mess around when they were in danger of being crushed to death, Bel spun on the spot before he leant down and scooped the younger up into his arms. "Always in need of the prince coming to save you. You can thank the prince later by giving him head; I'm sure you've improved greatly from ten years ago."

Completely unaware of the hidden meaning behind those words, Gokudera passed out in Bel's arms. He missed the way the entire building finally gave in after Bel had calmly exited it, and he wouldn't see the fire that soon engulfed the ruins in their wake. None of that mattered, though; so far, they had both lived to see another day.


	14. Chapter 14

When Gokudera came to, the first thing he saw was golden bangs taking up his entire field of vision. With a startled yelp, he scooted backwards, almost falling off the infirmary bed in the process. "B-bel! Don't do that!"

Bel laughed, running a hand through his tousled locks. "Shishi~ Hayato-kun looks so peaceful in his sleep~"

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Gokudera ignored the dull throbbing in his back; whatever painkillers he had been given were working like a charm. "Why the fuck are you still here, anyway? Just fuck off back to Italy already! I don't want you here!"

"That's not the impression I'm getting if I am still in Japan after all this time – and with Hayato-kun, no less." Rolling onto his back, Bel stretched in a lazy manner. "If you really wanted the prince gone, I would have found myself anywhere but with _you_, Hayato-kun. Besides, the younger Hayato-kun quite enjoyed my princely presence~"

Gokudera looked horrified at this, his eyes widening as he dropped his jaw. "…You… You sick bastard! What did you do to me?!"

"Well, it took a bit of coaxing at first, but I taught you the pleasures only a prince can give~ Shishi~ In the end, you were practically _begging _for my cock every day _and _night~"

"You… You _rapist!_" Barely aware of what he was even accusing the older male of anymore, Gokudera flailed like a fish out of water.

Bel's smile dropped at this, a genuine frown crossing his face. His fingers twitched before he rested a knife against Gokudera's throat, several droplets of blood dripping down onto the white sheets. In a deadly serious voice that contradicted his seemingly-emotionless expression, he hissed, "I am a lot of things, but I'm not rapist, Hayato-kun. Forceful and pushy, yes. But I _do _understand the meaning of no. You don't know… how hard it was for me… to back off so many times until he… _you_… finally wanted me… I wanted to slam you against the wall and fuck you until you passed out… But I didn't. I _waited, _Hayato-kun. I _knew _to wait."

"…"

Bel brought his face a little closer to Gokudera's now, his body quivering as lust filled his voice. "I watched you for so long. I could barely contain my needs. I wanted – no… I _needed _to fuck you… so badly… My self-control has never slipped as much as it did then… I would do a lot of things to you, Hayato-kun, but I would never _rape _you, so don't you _ever _accuse me of doing so _again_."

"…"

"What am I to you." It wasn't a question, and when no answer came, Bel growled as he pressed the knife harder against pale flesh. "Answer. Me."

"…" Closing his eyes, Gokudera thought back to his time with the younger Bel, both from this timeline and the other one. He had to be honest; what he had felt for the Bel in another world, he wasn't sure he could tell the blond holding a knife to his neck – would the other even _understand? _Bel didn't love; he fucked and lusted but if he even knew what that word _meant…_

"Hayato-kun!" Fingers digging tightly into Gokudera's shoulder now, the silver-haired man had never heard the faint hint of distress in the other's voice until now – so Bel _did _care what the answer was… "Give me a fucking answer, Hayato-kun!"

"…" Pushing calmly at the older male, Gokudera opened his eyes again. He was surprised that the other obeyed and sat on his haunches with no protest, and he couldn't help but feel a soft pang in his heart; oh, how much he missed the other Bel already… "You want to know what you are to me…?"

"Yes."

"…You are… someone who has never stopped confusing me."

"…"

"I've hated you for so long. When I first met you, I couldn't stand you. And then, ten years later, I still hate you. But… For the past couple of months, I… I fell in love with your younger self."

"In love…?" Cocking his head to the side, Bel hummed as he danced his knife across the bed sheets.

Gokudera nodded. "I honestly _did _love your younger self. But that doesn't matter anymore; he's gone, and I don't think I feel the same way about you, here and now, as I did then."

"…" With no expression on his face, Bel remained silent as he calculated everything he had been told, unsure of how he was feeling.

With a sigh, Gokudera shrugged. "But as I said, it doesn't matter anymore. We'll just go back to hating each other like we have for the past ten years. My feelings towards your younger self won't change _you_."

Without hesitation, Bel said, "Your younger self said he loved me, too. I have no comprehension of this 'love'. I don't understand it, or what it means to love someone. I love ripping, and I love blood. I love _killing_, but I cannot love a _person_. I don't know _how_."

"…"

"But… You're the only person I've ever slept with more than once. The only person I feel… _content _to be around without killing. I don't know… my emotions towards you. But ten years ago, I knew you were mine, and _only _mine. Mine to toy with; mine to hurt. Mine to annoy and make angry. And now, I finally got what I wanted ten years ago; I _made _you mine, so I refuse to let you go now, Hayato-kun."

"What are you – fucking bastard!" Gokudera cried out as sharp teeth sunk into his shoulder, blood spilling down his flesh. "What the fuck is that for?!"

"I marked _my _Hayato-kun when I finally got him; I'm leaving my marks on you, too. I'm letting everyone know that you're mine. I don't like people touching what is mine, Hayato-kun; you're mine and only mine."

"…Bel…" With a sigh, Gokudera resigned himself to his fate; Bel was a possessive bastard who always got what he wanted in the end, so there was no use in trying to deny him. Besides, maybe he could finally tame the older male and calm him down a bit, the same way he had been able to find an obedient, sweet-natured boy who just loved to cuddle in what was known as Prince the Ripper.

Maybe things would never be the way they had been with Bel's younger self, but Gokudera would take it as it came; maybe even someone as bloodthirsty and twisted as Belphegor would be able to learn love.

After all, it was never too late to save someone and help them turn their lives around into something better.


End file.
